National President Billy Quinn and National Secretary-Treasurer Mark Gardner have announced that negotiators for the NPMHU and the USPS have finally reached a tentative agreement over the terms of the 2000 National Agreement.

The agreement again confirms the pattern of general wage increases, this time for a four-year period, and it includes the continuation of cost-of-living adjustments. The new agreement provides 6.0% in general wage increases over its four-year term, and with projected COLA payments between September 2002 and September 2004, could very well provide more than 10 percent in wage improvements for all mail handlers.

The annual wage increases are in the amounts of 1.3%, 1.9%, 1.5% and 1.3%, the first retroactively effective on November 18, 2000, the second retroactively effective on November 17, 2001, the third effective on November 16, 2002, and the fourth increase effective on November 15, 2003. For a Level 4 Mail Handler at top step, these guaranteed wage increases will total $2,321 over the life of the contract

The tentative agreement also will provide five COLA payments from September 2002 through September 2004. Depending on the future course of inflation, economists are projecting that these cost-of-living adjustments will provide between $1,500 and $1,800 in base wage increases between now and 2004.

In other words, assuming that the inflation goes up at the expected rate, a Level 4 mail handler at top step should receive approximately $4,000 in base wage improvements (that is, in general wage increases and COLA payments) before the end of 2004.

As part of the tentative agreement, mail handlers also will receive several retroactive and lump-sum payments. First, there will be a one-time lump-sum payment of $499 to make up for the two COLA payments from 2001. In addition, the first general wage increase of 1.3% is retroactive to November 18, 2000 and the second general wage increase of 1.9% is retroactive to November 17, 2001. These amounts will differ based on Level and Step and hours worked, although a Level 4, Step O Mail Handler will receive a retroactive payment of at least $1,150, in addition to the $499 lump-sum COLA payment.

The tentative agreement also provides that all mail handlers employed as of November 20, 2000 will be protected against layoff or force reduction during the four-year term of this agreement. In these troubling times, with mail volumes and mail revenue falling since September 11 and the anthrax attacks, the benefits of this layoff protection should not be understated.

A full summary of the tentative agreement already has been sent to all Local Union officers and stewards, and it also appears on the NPMHU Home Page at www.npmhu.org. In the next few weeks, all members will receive a ratification package at their home addresses, in accordance with voting procedures adopted by the National Executive Board, so that all members can review and vote on the new contract. The NEB and the members of the National Negotiating Team have unanimously endorsed the tentative agreement, and they urge all members to vote to approve the contract.

Watch your bulletin boards for further details, and your mail for your ratification ballot.