USPS Workers Divided Over New Deal on Pay, Layoffs

Newsweek

9 hours ago

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The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year collective bargaining contract, covering employees nationwide.
The proposed contract, finalized on June 2, 2025, spans from September 21, 2024, through September 20, 2027, reported APWU.
Newsweek contacted APWU for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The public mail system has long faced funding issues and has been a point of contention for many administrations. Postal workers across the country rallied against the dismantling of the United States Postal Service on Sunday.
Although the agreement extends no-layoff protections to many employees with fewer than six years of service, apprehensions persist about potential job security, especially for those not yet covered.
File photo: APWU activists protest during a rally near the Brentwood Post Office on March 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
File photo: APWU activists protest during a rally near the Brentwood Post Office on March 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Photo byWhat To Know
APWU posted on X, formerly Twitter, that it and USPS have reached a tentative three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). APWU added: "Now it is time for members to review the agreement and vote on ratifying this contract."
Reactions among postal workers on social media have been mixed. While the deal includes annual wage increases and cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for employees, some workers are expressing concerns over the adequacy of these raises amid rising inflation.
The agreement proposes annual wage increases of 1.3 percent in 2024, 1.4 percent in 2025, and 1.5 percent in 2026, along with six full cost-of-living adjustments for career employees.
One Reddit user on the platform's USPS forum said: "Honestly one of the best contracts in like the last 10 years." Another commented: "In the current inflationary environment cola may give us a bigger raise anyway (as we saw the last couple years). I'd rather the deal got done sooner so we don't miss out on colas."
"The protection from layoff clause being extended to those who started during the last contract is huge for my facility specifically," posted another Reddit user. "It would now cover more than half of our career clerks who weren't protected before."
One member of the USPS Employees Facebook group, in response to the agreement, said: "Yeah.....layoffs not protected. Greatest." Another stated: "PSE's still have to wait two years before they become regular. They should change that."
Additional highlights of the tentative agreement also include the elimination of certain entry-level steps and the restoration of top steps in pay grades 4 to 7 on the lower-tier pay scale. Increased uniform allowances and night shift differentials are also proposed.
APWU notes that all provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that were not modified in negotiations remain in full force and effect. For example, overtime provisions, discipline procedure, grievance-arbitration procedure, and holidays.
The tentative agreement received unanimous approval from the National Negotiating Committee and the National Executive Board. It was presented to the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee on June 4, 2025, which also unanimously approved it for a ratification vote by union members, according to APWU.
What People Are Saying
APWU President Mark Dimondstein stated: "This is great news for postal workers! Negotiations are never easy and have been hard fought. We have secured an agreement that continues to protect the rights and interests of our members in uncertain times.
"We have been negotiating when [government] workers and our unions are under severe assault and with the specter of postal privatization looming. Yet even in this environment, the Tentative National Agreement contains annual wage increases, six full cost-of-living adjustments for career employees, no-layoff protections including for tens of thousands of members with less than six years' service, 50-mile limits on excessing, elimination of some entry level steps, restoration of one more top step in pay grades 4-7 on the lower tier pay scale, increase in uniform allowances, and much more.
"All these gains were accomplished with no givebacks or concessions. A 'Yes' vote will secure the provisions and advances of the Tentative Agreement."
Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino commented as reported by USPS: "This is a fair and responsible agreement that serves the best interest of our employees, our customers and the future of the Postal Service."
What Happens Next
The agreement is pending ratification, with ballots expected to be mailed to APWU members by June 16, 2025, and a return deadline of July 10, 2025. The American Arbitration Association will oversee the mailing and counting of ballots.
The APWU advised that "more details on the ratification process will be forthcoming."
All members are encouraged to participate in the ratification vote, emphasizing the importance of the contract in determining wages, benefits, and working conditions.
However, it won't be clear until the outcome of the vote to gauge how union members truly feel.
For more information on the tentative agreement and the ratification process, members can visit the APWU's official website.