Postal Union Ratifies Contract

American Postal Workers Union members on Wednesday approved a new contract following many months of negotations with U.S. Postal Service officials and a unionwide ballot process. The final vote tally was 69,451 to 22,351.

The agreement, which extends until May 20, 2015, protects APWU employees against layoffs and limits "excessing," in which employees are reassigned to different work sites based on the agency's current needs. It also includes provisions that will return to postal employees work that had been outsourced, or assigned to managers. The first 1 percent of a 3.5 percent total pay raise will take effect in November 2012.

APWU President Cliff Guffey called the contract an important achievement for his union.

"The agreement includes many big changes, and I realize that some union activists are apprehensive," Guffey said."With help from the national union, I am confident that locals can implement the new provisions and protect the rights of APWU members."

The new agreement covers 205,000 workers represented by APWU, including clerks, mechanics, vehicle drivers, custodians and administrative aides.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in April said the contract will save $3.8 billion over four years and reduce the agency's spending on employee health care. It won't drastically change USPS' overall spending on its workforce, however.