Of particular note to letter carriers, the final package was stripped of any provision that would negatively impact letter carriers, our bargaining rights, and the postal network. 

In the last two months of congressional consideration, many direct threats were proposed. These included increasing Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) contribution rates as high as 15.6 percent, calculating annuities based on the high-5 average salary instead of the current high-3, eliminating the FERS Special Annuity Supplement,  forcing new federal hires to choose between at-will employment or an increased FERS contribution, imposing a fee for Merit Systems Protection Board Claims and Appeals, taking back unspent funds designated for USPS electric vehicles (EVs) and requiring the agency to sell all its EVs and associated infrastructure, and attacks on other federal employees’ collective bargaining rights.  

Ultimately, NALC successfully got all threats directly targeting letter carriers removed.

"Letter carriers' activism and NALC's strong bipartisan relationships helped us defeat devastating provisions for current and future letter carriers,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “We successfully delivered a powerful message to Capitol Hill. When lawmakers come after our 295,000 members’ jobs, retirements and futures, we say, 'Hell no!'" 

Overall, H.R. 1 claims to cut government spending. However, it allocates billions of dollars for border security, immigration enforcement, and defense measures and makes permanent President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts while extending corporate tax breaks. All the while, the measure limits eligibility and funding for Medicaid, student loan repayments, and clean energy tax credits. The bill is estimated to increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion over 10 years and cost $507.6 billion over the same time.  

“While the White House and some in Congress may claim victory following today’s passage, the real victory is NALC fending off innumerable attacks on our retirement benefits and the postal vehicles we desperately need in a massive bill that guts working families,” Renfroe said. “This legislation prioritizes corporations and the wealthiest Americans, instead of the workers who keep this country running.

"I am proud that NALC members came together and fought like hell to defend what we’ve earned, deserve and were promised. Unfortunately, this process is expected to happen again later this year for the next fiscal year. NALC members are ready to fight like hell, just as we do every day to protect each other."

The budget reconciliation process allows Senate Republicans to bypass Democratic opposition and advance President Trump’s sweeping tax, immigration, energy, and healthcare agenda with a simple majority, rather than the usual 60-vote threshold.

Notably, thanks to NALC’s efforts, two major attacks on letter carriers that were proposed during the Senate process were ultimately removed from the package.

Increasing the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) contribution rate to 15.6 percent for all postal employees hired after Jan. 1, 2026, and taking back any unspent funds designated for USPS electric vehicles (EVs) and requiring the agent to sell all its EVs and associated infrastructure were removed.

“I would like to thank every letter carrier who contacted their members of Congress to help us win this fight,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “While the process is not over, this is a major step forward to guaranteeing our retirement benefits stay off the table and the new postal vehicles we desperately need are protected. This victory is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when our union comes together and fights for what is best for every letter carrier.”

During the vote-a-rama, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced an amendment of the idea that had already been shut down: rescinding any unspent funds for USPS EVs. The amendment failed.

Overall, H.R. 1 aims to cut government spending while extending corporate tax breaks. It would make permanent President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year. The package allocates billions of dollars for border security, immigration enforcement, and defense measures while limiting eligibility and funding for Medicaid, student loan repayments, and clean energy tax credits. The bill is estimated to increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion over 10 years and cost $507.6 billion over the same time.

H.R. 1 now heads back to the House, where the margins are razor thin. Members of the House Freedom Caucus, as well as moderate Republicans, have already expressed reservations about the Senate-passed bill, which includes notable changes from the House version that passed on May 22. These changes include increasing the debt limit by $5 trillion instead of $4 trillion, increasing the state-and-local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $40,000 for five years, instead of permanently, and making permanent several business tax cuts that were temporary in the House bill.

The House is expected to vote on the bill as early as tomorrow to meet President Trump’s July 4 deadline.

NALC will keep letter carriers informed as the process progresses.

Brother Barbuzzi began his career as a letter carrier in 1987 and joined Massachusetts Northeast Merged Branch 25. He quickly engaged in union service, becoming a steward and sergeant-at-arms for his branch in 1992. Barbuzzi went on to serve his branch as assistant secretary, secretary, and executive vice president. NALC President Vincent Sombrotto appointed Barbuzzi as a district co-leader in the Joint Route Evaluation Program in 1993. He also served as an arbitration advocate and as a B Team backup member. He was elected branch president in 2011, a position he held until he was appointed as a regional workers’ compensation assistant (RWCA) for Regions 11 and 14 in 2023. He continued to serve in his role as RWCA after retiring from the Postal Service in March 2023.

In November 2023, Brother Barbuzzi was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Despite the diagnosis, he continued to serve the union and his fellow letter carriers with unwavering dedication. He attended last year’s National Convention and, more recently, traveled to Ohio to fulfill his commitment to train representatives on workers’ compensation procedures.

Brother Barbuzzi is survived by his wife, Jean; sons Domenic and Anthony; three grandchildren; and many loving family members.

A fighter until the very end, Dave lived and served his union in a way that exemplified passion and integrity. As one of his favorite singers once said, he did it “my way.”

“On behalf of the NALC, I am grateful for Brother Barbuzzi’s many years of devoted service as a leader, mentor, and friend to his fellow letter carriers,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “He will be greatly missed, and we send our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and colleagues.”

“This is a disgusting attack on future letter carriers,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “Our work is harder than it's ever been, and this is nothing more than a significant pay cut for future letter carriers. We will not stop fighting until this ridiculous proposal is shut down.”

Take action

Call 833-545-2657 or visit NALC’s Legislative Action Center.

Today, NALC President Brian L. Renfroe testified before the House Subcommittee on Government Operations at a hearing on the future of the Postal Service.

President Renfroe began his opening remarks on a solemn note, honoring Jacob Taylor, a letter carrier from Lone Star Branch 132 in Dallas, TX, who died on the job last week. Renfroe’s testimony emphasized the numerous job hazards letter carriers face, including the strenuous nature of extreme heat and crime, explaining that letter carriers must be protected in all circumstances.

“If Congress wants to help the Postal Service, I urge you to do everything possible to protect letter carriers and all postal employees, implement necessary financial changes, and guarantee the Postal Service remains an independent, non-taxpayer-funded public service it has been for the last 55 years,” Renfroe said. “If the American people’s mail and packages are to be protected, the people who deliver them must first be better protected,” he added.

With the hearing focused on the future of the Postal Service, Renfroe emphasized the critical need for Congress and the administration to address Postal Service finances, specifically calling for proper calculation of the Postal Service’s pension liabilities and allowing USPS to invest its retiree health benefit funds more responsibly.

With regard to the Delivering for America plan, Renfroe said that “modernization is long overdue. One of the primary challenges of such a transformation is maintaining and improving service as a massive network is modified.”

The subcommittee included witnesses Jim Cochrane, CEO of the Package Shippers Association; Elena Spatoulas Patel, Assistant Professor at the University of Utah’s Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis; Mike Plunkett, CEO and President of the Association for Postal Commerce; Thomas Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste; and Paul Steidler, Senior Fellow at the Lexington Institute.

These stakeholders’ interests align more with private shippers, ultimately motivated by profit.

“When Congress seeks to make changes or understand the operations of the Postal Service, I urge you to come to us – the people who work within the system every day and are invested in the service we provide to the American people,” Renfroe said.

The hearing was particularly relevant as the incoming postmaster general, David Steiner, is set to lead the agency in a few weeks. His leadership comes with many uncertainties.

“While NALC has reservations about the USPS Board of Governors' selection for postmaster general, guaranteeing that the Postal Service remains an independent, non-taxpayer-funded, non-partisan agency is key. We fulfill a universal service obligation that no other private shipper does, could, or would fulfill.”

Overall, questions focused on the Delivering for America plan, potential impacts of privatization, cost savings, upholding the universal service obligation, the structure of the Postal Service’s leadership, and more.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) asked Renfroe why a stable Postal Service workforce is important. He emphasized that the “stability of the workforce has gone a long way to building the trust that Americans have in letter carriers and the Postal Service.”

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) began his questioning by thanking Branch 1091 letter carriers in his district. He then pointed out the difference between private businesses and public services and asked Renfroe how postal privatization could affect customers. Renfroe explained that any effort to privatize would “erode the universal service obligation” Americans depend on.

In his closing remarks, Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) thanked postal workers for their contributions and acknowledged the thousands of postal workers working in extreme temperatures as a heat wave sweeps part of the country.

President Renfroe’s full testimony is available here.

NALC congratulates Ranking Member Garcia on this critical leadership position. NALC has a long history of working successfully and productively with the House Oversight Committee, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Ranking Member Garcia.

Congressman Garcia has a strong record supporting workers’ rights, unions, fair retirements, and a strong, public Postal Service. We look forward to him bringing that vision to leadership on the oversight committee.

With a new postmaster general set to start at the Postal Service, now more than ever, it is essential to have strong leadership on the House committee that oversees USPS. I look forward to working with Ranking Member Garcia to defend our nation’s public, non-taxpayer-funded Postal Service and the universal service we provide to every American.

Today, NALC joins all Americans in honoring and celebrating Juneteenth, a meaningful holiday commemorating the final emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

While this historic day celebrates liberation and freedom, it is also a reminder of our nation’s painful legacy of slavery, racism and discrimination. Today, we reflect on our history, how far we have come, and what still needs to change.

Nearly thirty percent of Postal Service employees are Black, and NALC is one of the most diverse unions in the country. NALC has a long history of paving the way to a stable, respectable, middle-class public service job and retirement for millions of Black Americans. We are proud of this legacy and commit to doing everything in our power to continue improving the working lives of the nation’s letter carriers. 

On behalf of NALC, I wish everyone a safe and happy Juneteenth.

“USPS records show that letter carriers report hundreds of heat injuries annually,” Renfroe said. “However, the actual number is undoubtedly greater, as the Postal Service’s productivity-focused culture discourages letter carriers from reporting symptoms, as evidenced, in some cases, with letter carriers being disciplined because of a heat-related injury.

“Heat illness does not just sicken my members. On occasion, it kills them,” he continued. “At least seven letter carriers have died as a result of exposure to heat since 2012. Tragically, these injuries and deaths are preventable.

“A nationwide heat standard that sets clear requirements for USPS and other employers is the only way to truly mitigate the dangers that heat poses.”

Click here to watch President Renfroe’s testimony. His full submitted testimony is available here.

OSHA will hear testimony from labor representatives, industry stakeholders, and others with positions on the rule over the next few weeks. After the hearings conclude, a post-hearing comment period is expected to last 90 days.

“NALC appreciated the opportunity to bring the voice of our 200,000 active members to today’s hearing,” Renfroe said. “NALC has been a leader in fighting for a national heat safety standard for years, and we support full implementation of this rule. Our union stands ready to work with OSHA, the Department of Labor, and all necessary stakeholders to keep this critical proposal moving through the rulemaking process.”

In accordance with the National Agreement Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Re: PTF Advanced Annual Leave, 40 hours of annual leave will be advanced to PTF employees, prorated to the end of the leave year for their first leave year as a PTF, and annually thereafter, unless and until the employee converts to full-time status.

Similarly, in accordance with the MOU Re: CCA Advanced Annual Leave, upon completion of an initial 360-day appointment as a CCA, and immediately upon reappointment to any subsequent appointments thereafter, CCAs will be advanced 40 hours of annual leave. Upon initial implementation, CCAs will receive annual leave prorated to the end of their 360-day term.

Eligible CCAs and PTFs should see the credit to their annual leave balance reflected on the Pay Period 16-2025 earnings statement.

Effective June 14, 2025 (PP 14-2025), all city carrier assistants (CCAs) pay rate will be increased to reflect an additional $0.50 per hour. This increase is in addition to their cumulative general wage increases.

Pay table modifications

Also, effective June 14 (PP 14-2025), all city carriers currently in Step P in Tables 1 and 2 will receive a one-time pay increase to an amount that is equal to a flat dollar amount of $1,000. Carrier technicians will receive $1,021. These increases are in addition to the general wage increases and COLAs.

The Postal Service expects the eliminations of Table 2 Steps AA and A to be effective July 12, 2025 (PP 16-2025). In conjunction with  the elimination of Steps AA and A, all city carriers in those steps will be advanced to Step B and begin a new 46-week waiting period to be completed before advancing to the next step.

Retroactive (back pay) provisions

USPS indicates that back-pay calculations are ongoing and expects payment in August 2025. The retroactive pay will include the Nov. 18, 2023, and Nov. 16, 2024, general wage increases (plus the 1 percent additional increases for CCAs on those dates) and the first four COLAs for career carriers.

As a direct result of NALC’s action in the Senate, HSGAC’s text does not include the provision in the House-passed reconciliation bill that would eliminate the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) Special Annuity Supplement, a critical benefit for FERS-covered letter carriers who retire before they are eligible for Social Security at 62.  

Unfortunately, the committee is seeking to take back any unspent money designated for Postal Service electric vehicles and require the agent to sell all its electric vehicles and associated infrastructure.

“While we are pleased that no cuts to letter carrier retirement benefits were included in the Senate proposal, the fight is far from over," NALC President Brian Renfroe said.  “This ridiculous effort to slow down or stop the Postal Service from procuring new delivery vehicles for letter carriers threatens our safety and the service we provide. New delivery vehicles are already long overdue. Letter carriers work in dangerously high temperatures inside most postal vehicles, and keeping the current fleet operating becomes more difficult every day.”

Like the House-passed bill, HSGAC also included language imposing a fee for Merit Systems Protection Board Claims and Appeals, which will impact Postal Service employees. NALC opposes this provision.

Though they do not apply to the Postal Service or letter carriers, the HSGAC proposal also includes other anti-federal employee provisions that threaten unions, such as requiring unions to reimburse 10 percent of any funds received through payroll deduction to the Department of the Treasury, elimination of official time, and forcing new federal hires to choose between at-will employment or increasing their FERS contribution, just to name a few.

“This package is full of anti-labor provisions that set a dangerous precedent for federal unions and all federal and postal employees,” Renfroe said. “We stand in solidarity with our fellow federal employees in their fight.”

Next steps 

Each Senate committee will continue to release its priorities. So far, nine of 16 committees have released their text. Once all Senate committees release their text, full Senate consideration will follow. Notably, the Senate Budget Committee released text that does not include the government-wide provisions mentioned above. Whether HSGAC or the budget committee’s text will be used in the final version is unclear.

If the Senate can pass its legislation, which only needs a simple majority as opposed to the usual 60 votes, the House and Senate will go to conference to reconcile the differences in their bills and vote on a final package. 

"NALC has been fully engaged throughout the reconciliation process. As it continues to unfold, we will keep fighting like hell to ensure our retirement benefits stay off the table, new postal vehicles are protected, and that anti-labor proposals get shut down," Renfroe said. “Thank you to every letter carrier who has joined the fight. Let’s work together to finish the job.”

Check nalc.org for future updates.

McMackin began his career as a letter carrier in 1974 and served his fellow carriers in a variety of roles throughout the years. He was a dedicated advocate for the National Association of Letter Carriers. In 2024, he was recognized as a gold card member, marking 50 years of membership in the NALC.

“Brother Mac’s years of service to Branch 70 and the broader NALC community will be remembered with gratitude,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “We offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.”

The White House budget calls for eliminating “official time,” and more specifically, “steward time” at the United States Postal Service. NALC’s collective bargaining agreements (CBA) with USPS have longed provided for payment of stewards for performing steward activities permitted under the CBA. This provision is found in Sec. 714 under the "General Provisions Government-Wide" chapter of the Technical Supplement to the 2026 Budget Appendix released by the White House.

“This budget proposal is a calculated attack on our collective bargaining rights, letter carriers, and our union,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “Any attempt like this to infringe upon what we have bargained in good faith will be met with the fiercest of resistance from hundreds of thousands of America’s letter carriers, postal employees, and the hundred of millions of Americans we serve every day.

 “This is particularly concerning as we prepare for an incoming postmaster general with a troubling anti-union background and further justifies growing concerns about handing over our public service to private shipper.”

The FY 2026 request calls for a 22.6 percent cut to non-defense spending, a $163 billion cut from current year spending, which is expected to trigger major cuts to discretionary programs.

Every year, budget season typically begins with a mandate from the White House to set federal spending and policy priorities. As has unfolded under previous Republican “trifectas” (single-party control), the GOP sought to reduce federal spending and increase corporate tax breaks.

While the Postal Service is not taxpayer-funded, there are always implications from White House directives, as included in the FY 2026 budget request.

“NALC stands ready to protect the rights of our members, the agreement we have collectively bargained, and the thousands of dedicated shop stewards who enforce its terms daily. We will keep fighting like hell against any agenda that attacks us or our rights,” Renfroe said.

“Letter carriers are not new to these budget battles, despite the Postal Service not being taxpayer funded. It’s ultimately up to Congress to reject this budget blueprint of destruction. We call on all members of Congress of both parties to declare this portion of the budget proposal dead on arrival.”  

Please continue visiting NALC’s Legislative Action Center to contact your members of Congress on our most pressing issues.