Postal workers to rally for fair contracts Sunday, back congressional bills
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Postal workers and letter carriers across the nation are set to rally for workers’ rights and support on Saturday.
According to a press release from the National Association of Letter Carriers, contract negotiations between the NALC and the U.S. Postal Service are set to begin. The current contract was last updated in May 2025, with the agreement stating it is effective through May 22, 2026.
The NALC is also backing two congressional bills, the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act and the Federal Retirement Fairness Act.
The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act focuses on both mail security and the safety of mail carriers. According to the NALC, over 1,300 cases were opened between 2019 and 2023 for crimes against postal workers, including assault, robbery and burglary, with over two-thirds of attacks involving a weapon.
If passed, the act will provide $7 billion in funding over five years to the Postal Service to modernize mailboxes with high-security collection boxes and update current universal mailbox keys with electronic ones.
The post office has reportedly rolled out the new security measures in select areas and saw an increase in prosecution rates.
The act will also streamline court cases by assigning a district attorney for each judicial district to prioritize cases of crimes against mail carriers. Sentencing guidelines would also be adjusted so that assault or robbery of a postal employee would be treated similarly to the assault of a law enforcement officer.
The Federal Retirement Fairness Act will allow part-time or transitional hires in the postal service to purchase retirement credit for time spent working.
The NALC reports that more than 65% of current letter carriers worked at USPS in non-career positions, some for two or more years. Those who start as noncareer employees are not creditable under the Federal Employees Retirement System.
The NALC adds that more than 132,000 letter carriers who started in non-career positions often work similar shifts and roles as career employees, but do not receive the retirement credit.
Both bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives.
The NALC Rally is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Columbia’s USPS office on Walnut Street.