Big News!! APWU, USPS Reach Tentative Agreement on New Union Contract! - Unions News

June 6, 2025

The American Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Postal Service have reached a tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), announced APWU President and Lead Negotiator Mark Dimondstein. The proposed union contract is three years in duration: September 21, 2024, through September 20, 2027.

Contract Contract Negotiations Industrial Relations Clerk Division Maintenance Division MVS Division

The Tentative Agreement was finalized on June 2, 2025. In accordance with the APWU Constitution, it was presented by the National Negotiating Committee to the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee on June 4. The Rank and File committee unanimously approved the Tentative Agreement for a ratification vote of the members. The Tentative Agreement has the unanimous approval of the National Negotiating Committee and the full support of the National Executive Board.

“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,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We have been negotiating when governement 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.” (See summary below)

Along with President Dimondstein, the National Negotiating Committee consists of Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash, who served as chief spokesperson for the union, Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy, Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth “Liz” Powell, Clerk Division Director Lamont Brooks, Maintenance Division Director Idowu Balogun, Motor Vehicle Service Director Michael Foster, and Support Services Director Arrion Brown.

“On behalf of our members, I appreciate the hard work and diligence of the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee,” said Dimondstein. “We also recognize and appreciate all the officers and our staff for their important contributions made during these negotiations. Congratulations to every member for staying union strong and engaging in our “Union Proud, Say It Loud!” campaign for a good contract.”

“I am excited that the membership will have the opportunity to vote yes on this tentative agreement, which not only will deliver guaranteed paid increases, but offers the needed protections and improvements for our members in all the APWU crafts as attacks on working people and unions are coming faster than ever,” said Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash.

The APWU is now preparing a mailing to every member’s home to include a ballot and voting instructions and information on the Tentative Agreement. It is expected that the American Arbitration Association will begin mailing ballots by June 16, 2025, with a return deadline of Thursday July 10, 2025. More details on the ratification process will be forthcoming.

The APWU encourages every member to vote and be heard for our union contract determines the wages, benefits and working conditions.

Tentative Agreement Summary

The summary terms of the new Tentative Agreement can be found below, or at apwu.org/tasummary.

Contract Time Period

Three-year contract: September 21, 2024 through September 20, 2027

General Annual Wage Increases and Cost of Living Allowances (COLA)

1.3% November 16, 2024 (will be paid retroactively)
1.4% November 15, 2025
1.5% November 14, 2026
As PSEs receive no COLA, there will be an additional 1% increase each year (2.3%, 2.4%, and 2.5%) with an extra 50 cents/hour after 26 weeks.
PSEs in four-hour Remotely Managed Post Offices (RMPOs) (who are not covered by the automatic conversion to career provisions) will receive an additional $1.00 per hour after four years.

Full Cost-of-Living-Adjustments (COLA) for Career Employees (Six Total)

COLA will be paid the second full pay period after the release of January 2025 (paid retroactively), July 2025, January 2026, July 2026, January 2027, and July 2027 CPI.
APWU remains the only postal union with full COLA.

Changes to Post-2010 Pay Scales

No later than the first full pay period 180 days after contract ratification
- Grade 4 will have Step-JJ eliminated and the new starting step will be II
- Entry Step-GG will be eliminated from Grades 5-7 for PSEs who are automatically converted to career after 24 months.
Grade 3 will be upgraded to Grade 4 effective September 19, 2026 (Pay Period 21-2026)
- New top steps will be added for Grades 4, 5, 6, and 7
  - Grade 4, Step J
  - Grade 5, Step L
  - Grade 6, Step M
  - Grade 7, Step M
No changes to the waiting period for step increases, which is the shortest wait time of all postal contracts.

Increased Night Shift Differential

Effective September 25, 2025, night shift differential rates will be increased by a fixed amount of 4.0%
Effective September 19, 2026, night shift differential will be increased by a fixed amount of 2.0%

Job Security

Protection from layoff for career employees with six years of service remains in effect.
Any current career employee on the rolls as of September 20, 2024, but with less than six years of career service will be protected from lay-off for the life of the National Agreement. This provides at least 70,000 additional career employees protection from possible layoff.
Maintained the 50-mile limit on excessing.
The current moratorium on subcontracting of Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) work will continue in its present form during life of the Agreement.
Automatic PSE conversion to career status after two years (with the exception of the four-hour RMPO PSEs) reamins in full force and effect.

Health Insurance

No change to the Postal Service percentage contribution to premiums for those participating in the Postal Service Health Program.
95% Postal Service contribution to premiums of the APWU Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP).

Uniform/Work Clothes Program Allowances

2.5% increase to the uniform/work clothes allowances for years 2025, 2026, and 2027.
National Level Task Force established to examine the current uniform purchase program.

Additional Work Rule Changes

Annual Leave Exchange increased from 40 hours to 80 hours.
Annual Leave Carryover increased from 440 hours to 520 hours.
Additional family members to be covered under Bereavement Leave to include mothers and fathers-in-law, grandchildren, and stepparents.
Employees will no longer be required to serve two “probationary” periods if converted to career within their first term as a PSE.
Additional non-discrimination terms added to Article 2.1 to become consistent with Federal law.
Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in current CBA contract to be carried forward.
Additional items added to list of cases to be heard in expedited arbitration.
Pilot program to develop virtual hearing process for expedited arbitration only.
Arbitrators can no longer order briefs in discipline cases, it must be by joint agreement of the parties.
MOU added to address the Step-4 (national dispute) backlog.
MOU on purging of letters of warning.
PSEs to be included when administrative leave granted due to “Acts of God”.

Additional Clerk Craft Provisions

PTFs can now identify the specific offices that they are willing to work in within a 50-mile radius.
PTF Hub Assignment MOU made permanent.
MOU for one-time voluntary Reassignment Opportunity for PTFs.
USPS must give APWU 60 days’ notice when new or revised EAS position descriptions are created to allow the APWU to address any bargaining unit work that might be in the new position description.
MOU establishing a work group to examine the Job Bid Management (JBM) tool to address local exceptions in the bid process.
MOU on Telework for Customer Care Center that guarantees remote work no subcontracting of the CCC for the life of agreement.
MOU on Telework for Mail Requirement Clerks that guarantees remote work no subcontracting of the MRC work for the life of agreement.

Additional Motor Vehicle Service Craft Provisions

HCR Limitation MOU has been renewed.
Motor Vehicle Craft-Highway Movement of Mail provisions increased to higher dollar and mileage limits.
Language added to establish seniority date if a MVS transfer is delayed beyond 90 days.
Reversion Defined.
Overtime Desired Lists to be by section and/or tour unless defined by LMOU.
MVS Craft employees in 204(b) status prevented from being converted to full-time or career status unless they return to the craft for one continuous pay period.
Seniority for “Preferred Assignments” clarified.
Vehicle Maintenance Repair Agreements (VMRA) term added to Article 39.3.K.
MVS Training Initiatives Committee MOU updated.

Additional Maintenance Craft Provisions

Per Diem MOU remains for all offsite training.
The Annual In-Service Register is now open to all APWU non-career employees.
Employees on an In-Service Register who twice decline positions in the Maintenance Craft will be removed from the In-Service Register, there will no longer be a yearly purge.
JCIM Pecking Order Updated. Revised Step 6 to preference Maintenance Craft employees excessed out of closed installations, clarified steps 7 through 9, added Step 13 for PSEs, and replaced the word “consider” with “select” in three of the steps.
Expanded Opportunity to include Mail Processing Equipment Mechanics (MPE) for NST (ET-11) eligibility.
Revised Article 38.3.K.4.b. Area Maintenance Technician (AMT) PS-9 now encompasses Maintenance Mechanic (MM) PS-7, protecting AMTs facing excessing.
Continuing education training for skilled Maintenance Craft employees every three years.
AMTs will have the opportunity to request changes to reporting stations.
Residual vacancies that have been vacant for at least 120 days may be posted by Notice of Intent (NOI) by joint agreement of the local parties.
Established job protection for employees who fail to qualify after in-service promotion or employees that were hired from the Entrance Register.
Revised MOU regarding Article 32 exceptions.

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, holidays, etc.

Big News!! APWU, USPS Reach Tentative Agreement on New Union Contract! Members Ratification Vote to Follow!
Members’ Ratification Vote to Follow!0

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