Postal Union Leaders Reject Illegal Strike

The presidents of the two biggest postal unions said today that they will not ask almost 600,000 postal workers to begin an illegal nationwide strike when contracts with the U.S. Postal Service expire tonight.

Moe Biller, president of the American Postal Workers Union, and Vincent Sombrotto, head of the National Assn. of Letter Carriers, said they hope for an agreement with the U.S. Postal Service covering 579,000 employees.

If the contracts expire as anticipated at midnight, the dispute will be sent to an arbitration panel for a decision. Under federal law, postal workers cannot strike.

“Vinnie (Sombrotto) and I were involved in illegal strikes before,” Biller told reporters. “We don’t think this is the time for it with what’s going on in this country, the presidency being under siege, Congress involved, the American people concerned--we touch every home and every business in this country.

“But you never know what people will do,” Biller added, raising the specter of wildcat walkouts unauthorized by top union officials.

‘We’re Ready to Talk’

Union and management negotiators were staying at the same Washington hotel, but a new round of negotiations had not been scheduled by midday today.

“We’re ready to talk, but we haven’t as yet resumed formal negotiations,” said Steve Korker, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service.

“The ball’s in their court,” said Tom Fahey, a spokesman for the American Postal Workers Union.

Fahey noted that the sides are far apart. The two unions are seeking a 4.5% wage increase in each year of a new three-year deal, down from an earlier demand of a 6.8% pay hike. The Postal Service is offering an average annual raise of 1.6%, Fahey said.

At the news conference, Sombrotto tore up the Postal Service’s most recent offer. “They’ve offered us a Chinese menu with no substitutes and no fortune cookies,” he said.