Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) have decided to reject a proposed agreement with the U.S. Postal Service.

Out of the voting members, 63,680 chose to reject the agreement, while 26,304 approved it, according to a statement released by the NALC on Friday.

NALC President Brian L. Renfroe commented that the union intends to reopen negotiations within the next five days.

“In this democratic process, our members’ voices have been overwhelmingly clear,” Renfroe expressed. “The preliminary agreement, which was the best offer presented by the Postal Service, falls short for America’s city letter carriers. We have worked hard, and we deserve more.”

The Postal Service has yet to provide a response to YSL News’s inquiry as of Monday morning.

On October 17, the NALC reached a tentative agreement regarding the proposed National Agreement from 2023 to 2026. Balloting commenced on December 9, with ballots required to be submitted by January 13, according to NALC.

What modifications are included in the proposed agreement?

If sanctioned, this tentative agreement would be valid until November 7, 2026. The agreement proposes changes regarding wage increases for postal employees and introduces an anti-discrimination clause, as specified on the NALC website.

According to the proposed agreement, city letter carriers would see a general wage increase of 1.3%, compared to the previous figure of 1.1%.

The increases would be applied as follows:

• Starting November 18, 2023 – 1.3% retroactive pay
• Starting November 16, 2024 – 1.3% retroactive pay
• Starting November 15, 2025 – 1.3%

Another notable change is the inclusion of protections against discrimination related to pregnancy. The language has also been updated to replace “handicapped employees” with “individuals with disabilities.”

In addition to the 10 holidays already recognized for full-time and part-time scheduled employees, the proposed agreement adds Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday in 2021.

The proposal also includes the establishment of District Joint Labor-Management Safety Committees that will convene every quarter.

“District Safety Committees will play a key role in implementing safety programs across the district, improving communication between regional and local safety committees, and supporting local initiatives,” according to the agreement.

Union members advocated for an increase in annual uniform allowances, proposing $536 by May 2025 plus an additional $125 for new carriers, followed by $549 in May 2026 and an extra $128 for those newly qualifying.

Additionally, there was a suggestion that any unused amounts in the employee’s uniform allowance could be rolled over into the next period.

Renfroe affirmed last week that the “NALC is fully prepared to vigorously negotiate for a more favorable contract.”

Saleen Martin is a reporter from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757.