The rally was part of a nationwide effort by NALC guilds to prepare for upcoming contract negotiations. The NALC’s current contract with the U.S. Postal Service expires in May.
“We’re asking for first-class pay for first-class delivery,” said NALC Branch 182 Vice President Michael Vencill.
Vencill, who has worked as a mail carrier for 32 years, said NALC is advocating for a workforce that provides a critical service to the community, work that comes with challenges.
“We deliver in the elements, which in the past month has included navigating in 15 to 16 inches of snow and ice, and in the summer, we’re dealing with the heat in vehicles without air conditioning,” Vencill said. “We want better conditions to maintain a safe and healthy working environment.”
Vencill cited several incidents where mail carriers have been injured on the job, including by dog attacks and through physical assault.
“We’ve also been recognized for hero-ships from mail carriers recognizing when their customers may be in trouble or need assistance; we’re, in a lot of ways, the eyes and ears of the public,” Vencill said.
USPS workers with decades of service like Vencill become uniquely familiar with their communities and residents, he said.
“We’ve oriented ourselves to our surroundings in a meaningful and personal way where, one day, we’re delivering a ‘Welcome Home’ card to someone who has a new baby, and the next thing you know, we’re delivering a ‘Congratulations’ card for their college graduation,” Vencill described.
Top priorities for the upcoming contract include higher cost-of-living raises, consistent with other federal agencies, along with a higher pay average, Vencill said.
“We want the average pay rate that’s closer to our competitors, like UPS, which is up to $46 per hour, whereas, our top pay is around $36 hourly,” he said.
According to Vencill, carriers who are hired as temporary, non-bargaining, or limited-term Postal Service employees, like seasonal carriers, aren’t able to become career carriers until after two years and don’t pay into a retirement fund in that time, something the NALC hopes to change.
“We want the Postal Service to hire straight into career, so they can begin paying into their retirement without wasting two years,” he said.
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