Postal workers to restart negotiations

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/Channels/Story.aspx?ID=1318388

11/28/2010

Lede: Postal workers will begin negotiations again with the U.S. Postal Service today in an effort to reach agreement on a new contract. Doug Cunningham has more.

By Doug Cunningham

The American Postal Workers Union extended its contract agreement until December 1st and the union says it remains hopeful that an agreement on a new contract can be reached. The union says it’s working to negotiate a contract that will safeguard jobs and to strengthen the postal service. One of the goals is to restore work to union members that’s been outsourced or turned over to management personnel. The APWU argues that its members can do the work more efficiently and less expensively than private contractors and supervisors. Even if no agreement is reached there likely will not be a strike. Under the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, if no agreement is reached mediation begins. After 60 days from the date of the contract’s expiration binding arbitration will be used to settle any outstanding issues. The union says the future of 220,000 postal workers and their families are at stake in these labor talks.