Arbitrators Selected for Determining Letter Carriers New Contract
From National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Bulletin (PDF)
Bloch Chosen Neutral Arbitrator For Determining Next Contract
Fall Dates Scheduled for Hearing Testimony;
Final Decision Anticipated in Mid-November
The NALC and Postal Service have jointly selected noted arbitrator Richard Bloch to serve as the third, and neutral, arbitrator for the binding interest arbitration to determine the new National Agreement for city letter carriers.
The two parties have sent a joint request to the director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service that Bloch be formally appointed to the neutral arbitrator position.
At the same time, Arbitrator Bloch and the two sides have selected four weeks for hearing on testimony in the arbitration: the weeks of September 10 and September 24; October 29, and November 5. There is a likelihood that one or more dates may be added in advance of September.
It is anticipated that a final award in the arbitration will be received in mid-November. The other two arbitrators will be NALC General Counsel Bruce Simon of the New York law firm of Cohen, Weiss & Simon as NALC’s appointed arbitrator, and Robert Dufek of the Washington, DC law firm of Morgan Lewis, as the Postal Service’s appointee. Bloch has had a distinguished career and served in 2002 as president of the prestigious National Academy of Arbitrators. He also received national attention in 2005 when he served as arbitrator in a widely publicized dispute between professional football star Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles over a four-week disciplinary suspension against Owens.
Simon, who has been NALC’s General Counsel since 1979, has served as the NALC appointed arbitrator in four past interest arbitrations which determined the 1984-87, 1990-94, 1994-98 and 1998-2001 contracts.
Dufek served as the USPS-appointed arbitrator in the 2000 contract arbitration between the Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union.
Terms of the 2001-2006 National Agreement remain in effect pending the award to be issued by the Bloch Panel.
Related link: Contract goes to arbitration: USPS stonewalls partnership, NALC fights back on two fronts (NALC Postal Record- May 2007-PDF)
April 30th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I saw on t.v where the hispanics that picked tomatoes for mcdonalds got a raise thanks to their union,I don’t think that it took a whole year. Why doesn’t a team do an audit on the L”enfant plaza crew. They don’t “own” the post office,it is not a “business” that they created and yet they are the greediest of all. It is only a sign of the times anda reflection of the president that is illegally in office. More money.I say contract out the higher ups,I wonder what their salaries and insurance benefits are? I think that it is time to fight back,don’t stop if or when we get a raise, be proactive, it is time to stop the stupidity. They have raised the price on everything,where is that money going to?It is truely sad.
April 30th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I think not only is our government corrupt out own Postal Service and the Unions are corrupt, it is shame our politicians don’t have the balls to staighten out this government. I am so worried about our American values going away.
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:59 am
soon to retire i assume you have had a long career in the postal service from which you have reaped undeniable rewards and benefits negotiated for you by your union whichever craft you may be in. Not surprising though that you make alleged charges of union corruption. Are you one of the many employees that think everything that has supported you and your family over the years was just given to you by the USPS because they like you? Before you post such serious alleged charges of Union corruption you should post the facts to back it up and use your name. I wish you well in your retirement but dont lose sight of the fact why you were able to have the pay and benefits you have enjoyed.
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:35 pm
gja, Lighten up
May 10th, 2007 at 7:25 am
I do think the Government is corrupt…they are slowly taking away the protections that having checks and balances has provided.
“Let’s put people in power at every level of Government (i.e. prosecutors, judges, postal board of governors, etc) so that whenever we might hit a dead end as far as our agenda…we won’t”
This undermines our democracy.
gja and everyone else…don’t lighten up…be a voice for common sense and look to the future of jobs for everyone…not just ourselves.
May 10th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Proof!
There is a reason why there are checks and balances.
When one person gets to appoint
8 out of 9
and when those 8 + 1 get to pick the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General
something is wrong with the system!
http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/bog.htm
James Miller Bush appointed April 2003 (recess)
Alan Kessler November 2000
Mickey Barnett Bush Appointed August 2006
James Bilbray Bush Appointed August 2006
Carolyn Lewis Gallagher Bush Appointed Nov 2004(recess)
Louis Giuliano Bush Appointed Nov 2004 (recess)
Thurgood Marshall Jr. Bush Appointed December 2006
Katherine Tobin Bush Appointed August 2006
Ellen Williams Bush Appointed August 2006
James Potter June 2001
Patrick Donahoe April 2005
Now I can totally understand why this group wants to change the part of our agreement that only allows for contracting out in sparsely populated areas so that it is possible everywhere.
Who will be delivering your mail????