Postal Supervisors Sue for Higher Pay

The National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) has filed suit against the Postal Service in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of 45,000 supervisors, managers, postmasters, and technical specialists in their organization who believe they are underpaid. NAPS is seeking pay increases that would be mostly retroactive, covering the period from 2016 through 2019.

In a complaint issued yesterday, NAPS argues against the Postal Service’s rejection of most of the findings and recommendations of a fact-finding panel convened by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services.

The panel found that the Executive Administrative Schedule (EAS), which NAPS members are paid under, was not comparable to private sector compensation, that the pay-for-performance system is seriously flawed, and that the current Supervisory Differential Adjustments is unreasonably calculated and inadequate.

However, the panel’s decisions were non-binding. USPS was required to give the report “fair consideration” and ultimately rejected its findings.

According to GovExec, the lawsuit does not mean NAPS is unwilling to work with the agency to reform their proposal.

“We filed the lawsuit,” Wagner said. “We’re looking for relief from the courts.” If USPS wants to resume talks, however, “We’re all for it.” He added he felt “no choice” but to pursue the legal case due to the Postal Service’s “resistance to the fair administration of the law.” 

Dave Partenheimer, a USPS spokesman, told GovExec the agency has already made some concessions during its talks with NAPS. 

"We remain committed to our employees and supervisors, but within the context of our current business reality and financial condition," Partenheimer said. "We will respond to the allegation of the complaint in the appropriate forum, but separately remain committed to our philosophy of working collaboratively with our management associations on a number of important issues that affect their constituents."

NAPS has not filed a lawsuit against the Postal Service since 1974.