Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Ballots have gone out on the tentative agreement between the United States Postal Service and the union representing letter carriers. But some in the rank and file have objections to some of the terms in the three-year contract.
Branch 3 President David Grosskopf says there are issues with proposed pay raises and work rules. When it comes to economics, the complaint he hears is the proposed 1.3% wage increase for three years, which would total 3.9%.
"It just clearly is not enough money for our carriers to meet their basic living needs, let alone our CCA is which are non-career employees," said Grosskopf in an interview with WBEN. "Then you factor in the inflation over the last two to four years, the Postmaster General was just on Capitol Hill talking about his 10 year plan, and he admitted over the last four years, inflation has gone up 20% so the Postmaster General is telling Congress 'The reason I'm spending all this money is inflation has gone up 20%,' let alone it's the same individual that turns around and offers a tentative agreement the letter carriers only paying them 3.9% it's just not meeting our starting carriers' needs as far as what they need to live on a day to day basis."
When it comes to work rules, Grosskopf says the contract calls for lifting the cap on mandatory overtime.
"We've always had mandatory overtime in our contract. However, this tentative agreement actually lifts those caps, and it allows carriers to work beyond 12 hours in a day and 60 hours in a week. And to me, that's just absolutely ludicrous, because at that point, many, many carriers are exhausted," Grosskopf said.
That will force letter carriers to work longer hours, because the contract doesn't give them enough money that they can afford their basic needs.
Ballots are going out this week, with ballots due Jan. 13. If the contract is ratified, it's business as usual. If not, Grosskopf says the NALC has arbitration dates scheduled in mid-February to go forward in front of an independent arbitrator to make a better case.