Monday, April 21, 2025
USPS, NRLCA reach tentative agreement
The 36-month contract covers 130,000 employees
The Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) have reached a tentative negotiated agreement.
Upon ratification by the union membership, which will take several weeks, the agreement will run through May 20, 2027.
“This agreement is economically responsible, fair to our employees and serves the best interest of our customers,” said Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino. “The agreement aligns with the Delivering for America 10-year plan’s intent to provide reliable, value-driven mail and package delivery service to all Americans in fulfillment of our universal service obligation.”
The NRLCA represents more than 130,000 rural letter carriers nationwide.
Heroes
This employee saw a truck crash into a church
Ryan Dillon treated the driver, who was thrown from the vehicle in the collision
While delivering mail in Bristol, NH, recently, Letter Carrier Ryan Dillon saw a speeding truck hit another truck while passing on a nearby road.
The speeding vehicle then ran a stop sign, narrowly avoiding pedestrians and traffic before crashing into a church.
The driver was thrown from the truck and was badly injured.
Dillon, who is a volunteer firefighter with emergency medical training, rushed to the scene.
The Postal Service employee treated the driver until paramedics arrived and took over.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital where he underwent surgery. He died three days later.
Benjamin LaRoche, the local fire chief, applauded Dillon’s actions.
“Ryan is consistently one of the most active responders to emergencies and attendees at training events. He has a great service-first mindset — ready to respond day or night — and, apparently, even while he is delivering mail,” LaRoche said.
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered April 13-19
A mail-related physics project, revolutionary stamps and a long-serving postmaster made news
As Easter approached, Link brought you the story of a high school physics teacher who is well known in the town of Montoursville, PA, for his assignment requiring students to mail an egg.
The project requires students to package a raw egg for safe delivery through the U.S. Mail and provides lessons in both physics and the Postal Service.
“For many of these kids, this will be their first visit to a Post Office,” said the teacher, Ted Barbour. “It’s one of the lasting and unintended consequences of a worthy physics project.”
On the business front, we told you about a new labor deal between the Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, USPS grouping sales teams under one organization, Michael J. Elston being named labor relations vice president, Lucy Trout being tapped as acting secretary for the board of governors, and the new Battlefields of the American Revolution stamps, which were dedicated at a ceremony at Minute Man Historical Park in Concord, MA.
Edgar Kumley wasn’t around for the American Revolution, but he saw a lot of history in his day. Kumley, the focus of last week’s “People” column, was the third-longest-serving postmaster at a single facility — in his case, Redig, SD. He died earlier this month at 102.
“Edgar was always busy,” said granddaughter Victoria Constantin, who carries on the family tradition as a relief postmaster for Redig. “At 98, he was still running around fixing cars and feeding cows.”
“On the Job” spotlighted Eleanor Gary, a West Los Angeles customer services supervisor and subject matter expert in finance, and “Heroes” told the story of Ryan Dillon, a letter carrier in Bristol, NH, who sprang into action after he saw a truck crash into a church.
Dillon, a volunteer firefighter with emergency medical training, “has a great service-first mindset — ready to respond day or night — and, apparently, even while he is delivering mail,” said the local fire chief, Benjamin LaRoche.
Finally, Link has a new “Mail” column and welcomes your feedback. You can email us or send a letter to:
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USPS, NRLCA reach tentative agreement
The 36-month contract covers 130,000 employees
-
Heroes
This employee saw a truck crash into a church
Ryan Dillon treated the driver, who was thrown from the vehicle in the collision
-
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered April 13-19
A mail-related physics project, revolutionary stamps and a long-serving postmaster made news