Postal Service Negotiates Tentative Contract with Major Union
• According to audits conducted by the Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the USPS has been overcharged to its Civil Service Retirement System and Federal Employees Retirement Benefit pension funds by $75 billion and $6.9 billion, respectively.
Negotiations with the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) came to an impasse upon the contract’s Nov. 20, 2010, expiration. Absent a negotiated resolution, the parties will continue to follow the current agreement until a third-party determines the outcome of a new contract. Unlike in the private sector, when negotiations come to an impasse, federal employees are not permitted to strike. An arbitrator determines the final outcome and is not legally required to consider the Postal Service’s financial obligations when rendering a decision.