PORTLAND, Ore. — Dozens of mail carriers from Portland Branch 82 of the National Association of Letter Carriers rallied in front of the East Portland Post Office on Sunday.
In a statement, PDX Rank and File, a Portland letter carrier union advocacy group, said that mail carriers across the country including Oregon have gone over 530 days without a union contract. The mail carriers are also not in agreeance with the tentative agreement negotiated by their union leaders.
PDX Rank and File said the settlement would raise wages by 1.3% per year for three years, plus a 55% Cost of Living Adjustment. The group believes this is "essentially a pay cut" and "does not keep up with inflation."
Rogue Robertson, a shop steward at the Lents station says the agreement is a "slap in the face."
“After being heralded as heroes during the pandemic, being forced to work ten to twelve hour days, sometimes six and seven days a week due to understaffing caused by low-wages, we deserve better and are calling for our members to vote down the tentative agreement,” Robertson also said.
Union members also are unhappy that what they describe as a non-career, low wage, low benefit job category like the city carrier assistant, which constitutes 20-25% of the workforce, remains in the new contract, PDX Rank and File said.
The group also stated that working conditions mentioned in the settlement do not address the problems of mandatory overtime, speed-up, understaffing, route adjustments, severe heat and cold safety standards, surveillance and harassment.
Voting on the contract settlement by mail will be held over the next month.