BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — USPS letter carriers in Buffalo gathered early this morning at the West Side Post Office. The postal service announced a tentative agreement just last month—and the workers are not satisfied with the negotiations.
"The goal of the rally today is to let the public know that the inadequate offer that the Postal Service has given us, as far as a tentative agreement, and that economic package just is not acceptable," said David Grosskopf, the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Buffalo/WNY.
The carriers are calling for the following contract demands:
- Starting pay for $30/hour
- Full cost of living adjustments
- All workers to be career employees
- Elimination of the no-strike cause
The workers said these changes are necessary to ensure that postal workers are treated fairly and compensated appropriately for the essential services they provide.
"I want to envision having a job for no longer than 25 years that I can retire on," said a west side Post Office employee who wishes to remain anonymous.
"I'm not asking for wealth. I'm not looking for a lavish lifestyle. I'm just looking to survive and live comfortably, and there's no way to do that right now."
This rally is a part of a nationwide effort to negotiate better terms for postal workers. As negotiations continue, the letter carriers are calling on community support to help vote down this tentative agreement.
