Workplace issues
Protecting Your Rights
at the Postal Workplace
A letter carrier’s job is a daily challenge. Letter carriers must use both mental and physical faculties to get their jobs done under deadline while overcoming all sorts of obstacles. Though it’s not always obvious, the union has a large impact on letter carriers’ daily lives. NALC’s advocacy efforts, past and present, are aimed at assuring letter carriers are treated and paid fairly in accordance with the National Agreement, the law and other applicable agreements and regulations. These efforts extend from the shop steward level to the regional and national staff.
When disputes arise, NALC is there to handle them, whether they involve a single carrier or thousands. NALC works with both carriers and management to make a carrier’s job safe, but if a carrier is injured on the job, NALC is there to help the carrier get the benefits he or she deserves. And NALC works to protect retirement benefits and help carriers at the end of their careers get the benefits they earned after years of hard work.
This page is the hub for finding information on workplace issues and how NALC represents letter carriers in the workplace. The fastest way is by searching for your issue in the search bar below, or using one of the search terms on the left.
For more information
Check out the sections explained below, which are filled with the latest news and resources to help you deal with issue at the postal workplace.
Many resources and documents relating to workplace issues are available on this site, including the National Agreement, the Joint Contract Administration Manual, the Materials Reference System and many handbooks, manuals, agreements and MOUs, paycharts, decisions, laws and regulations, NALC publications and others.
The Contract Administration Unit (CAU) at NALC Headquarters oversees contract enforcement efforts at the highest level. The group of several NALC officers and staffers, headed by the NALC vice president, oversees the grievance-arbitration system, files, discusses and attempts to resolve Interpretive Step grievances involving issues of contract interpretation, offers advice and support to the national business agent offices in NALC’s 15 regions and compiles and publishes information resources for NALC contract enforcers at all levels of the union.
NALC’s Director of City Delivery is responsible for following issues concerning the structure of letter carrier work—the structure and adjustment of carrier routes and working methods used by carriers in delivering the nation's mail.
NALC’s Director of Safety and Health is responsible for following safety and health issues that relate to letter carrier jobs.
NALC’s Retirement Department assists retired letter carriers regarding their benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). The department also provides help and advice to survivors of retired letter carriers.
If you are a letter carrier who has been injured on the job, click here and follow the instructions to get information about your rights and benefits.
Information about Customer Connect, a joint effort by NALC and the USPS to increase revenues through letter carrier leads headed by NALC's executive vice president, can be found here.
News and Updates
2021 JCAM released
An electronic version of the 2021 USPS-NALC Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM) has been released and is available under Workplace Issues in the resources section of our website.
COVID-19 Related MOUs Extended Until Late September
By joint agreement (M-01924), several COVID related memorandums of understanding have been further extended through September 25, 2020.
Statement from NALC President Fredric V. Rolando on the COVID-19 pandemic
President Fredric V. Rolando has issued a statement to letter carriers covering many issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NALC and USPS agree to two new MOUs on leave during the COVID-19 pandemic
Today, NALC and USPS agreed to two new MOUs expanding leave for letter carriers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NALC and USPS have mutually agreed to postpone a national-level grievance
A national-level grievance regarding the delay in implementing Arbitrator Goldberg’s Award in Case No. Q15C-4Q-C 17697250 will be postponed
Customer and employee rights when USPS solicits customers to change the mode of mail delivery
NALC is aware of an effort by the Postal Service in different parts of the country to convince customers to agree to change their mode of mail delivery to cluster box or centralized delivery.
The NALC Guide to Identifying Intentional False Editing of Clock Rings available online
The NALC Guide to Identifying Intentional False Editing of Clock Rings was created to assist union representatives when investigating grievances concerning clock ring edits that impact letter carriers’ pay.
Questions and Answers—2011 USPS/NALC National Agreement
This jointly-developed document (M-01870) provides the updated mutual understanding of the national parties on issues related to 2011-2016 NALC-USPS National Agreement.
CDRAAP Zone Selection Period Extended
The national parties have agreed to extend the selection period for the City Delivery Route Alternative Adjustment Process (CDRAAP) 2014-2015. The selection period will still begin on Nov. 3, 2014, but it will now end on Nov. 21, 2014.
NLRB charges USPS with failing to bargain with NALC over cyber attack’s potential impact on letter carriers
The NLRB has formally charged USPS with failing to bargain with NALC over the potential impact on letter carriers of September’s cyber-security breach that compromised Postal Service computers containing workers’ personal and employment information.
Employee safety paramount following suspicious letter report
On March 17, the Postal Service was made aware of a suspicious parcel addressed to President Barack Obama. In light of this event, a Mandatory Safety Talk was provided to the NALC.
Cost-of-living adjustment update
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has published its Consumer Price Index update for December 2014.