USPS Letter Carrier Stephen Sing makes his way across the ice encrusted sidewalks of Bellemeade Avenue in Evansville in early January. City letter carriers have worked without a new contract since May of 2023.
(File photo / WNIN News)
Binding Interest Arbitration is the next step after a contract offer from the U.S. Postal Service was rejected by a vote in late January. Follow-up negotiations between the union and the USPS have failed.
On Wednesday the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) announced an impasse in contract negotiations with the United States Postal Service (USPS).
The NALC has 41 branches across Indiana, including one in Bloomington. USPS has more than 12,400 Hoosier employees and delivers to 3.1 million addresses across the state. The USPS recently said it's investing more then $330 million into improving vehicles, facilities and employee experience in Indiana.
City letter carriers had rejected the long-awaited contract offer from the USPS in late January.
More than 63,000 voted against, with more than 26,000 voting for it.
The down vote triggered the prescribed 15 days of negotiations with both sides.
NALC President Brian Renfroe had expressed some optimism Tuesday — the USPS had improved some financial offerings for a new agreement.
An increase would have been 1.3-percent the first year, 1.5-percent the second 1.7-percent the third year, according to NALC member Austin Seibert.
But the NALC said the amendments weren't good enough and instead, they’ll go into Interest Arbitration.
“We remain confident that the best outcome that could be achieved through this Interest Arbitration process is what we will achieve, that will eventually set the terms for a new collective bargaining agreement for letter carriers,” Renfroe said in a video on social media.
At arbitration, each side’s lawyer presents a case with witnesses and experts to make their point. After 14 days, a binding, final decision will be made by the arbitrator. In this case, they’ve selected Dennis Nolan.
This is over the contentious retroactive 2023 to 2026 agreement. It runs from May 20, 2023, through Nov. 7, 2026, continuing through the length of the contract.
Among the concerns for letter carriers are better pay and benefits for entry-level workers, better uniform stipends and less overtime.
Aside from a larger raise, they would also like to see the USPS follow contractual obligations in keeping under 12 working hours.
Renfroe said they’ve been preparing their case for arbitration since prior to official negotiations two years ago. Hearing dates are not yet set.
