WASHINGTON—Letter Carriers union President William H. Young and Postmaster General John E. Potter today formally signed a new five-year contract covering wages, benefits and working conditions for 222,000 city delivery letter carriers throughout the United States.

The National Agreement, retroactive to November 20, 2006, was ratified by a vote of active members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO) on a 104,346 to 11,895 vote after a tentative agreement had been reached in July.

The contract includes general wage increases of 8.85 percent over the term of the agreement, along with semi-annual cost-of-living adjustments, and new protections against contracting out of letter carrier work by the Postal Service to private firms and individuals.

NALC President Young said the new contract, signed in a brief ceremony at U.S. Postal Service headquarters, will help ensure a continuation of the Postal Service as the most efficient and dedicated postal system in the world.

“This contract rightfully includes not only justified wage increases and cost-of-living adjustments for America’s letter carriers, but also the assurance to the general public that career Postal Service employees, not outside contractors, will continue to efficiently deliver the mail throughout our cities and towns for many years to come,” Young said.

The agreement provides a 1.4 percent wage increase retroactive to November 25, 2006; a 1.8 percent increase in November 2007; 1.9 percent in November 2008; 1.9 percent in November 2009, and 1.85 percent in November 2010. The contract runs until November 20, 2011.