APWU-represented employees who fall under the 2021-2024 National Agreement received the retro-active payments owed on them in their paychecks dated October 28, 2022. Employees will see the retro-active payments listed on their paychecks as multiple “adjustments”.

In order to fully understand the retro-active payments, each person should download their full paystub that is available to them through the USPS employee website. Pay stubs could be over 10 pages long. An explanation on how to read the pay stubs and understand the adjustment is found here (Retropay Explanation and Example Paystub). Each employee’s retro-active payment is based on the individual hours they were paid (work and/or paid leave). Thus, no retroactive payment will be the same.

APWU-represented bargaining unit employees will receive retro-active pay adjustments as follows:

• Pay Period 21-2021 through Pay Period 12-2022
  • New rates for Grade 11 Employees
• Pay Period 25-2021 through Pay Period 12-2022
  • 1.3% General Increase for all employees
  • 1.0% additional increase for Postal Support Employees (PSEs)
• Pay Period 06-2022 through Pay Period 12-2022
  • $0.63 per hour COLA for Career Employees
• Pay Period 09-2022 through Pay Period 16-2022
  • Extra $0.50 per hour for PSEs

The pay rates that required a retro-active payment (with the exception of the extra $0.50 per hour for PSEs) went into effect on June 4, 2022, the start of Pay Period 13-2022. If questions arise in regards to the retroactive payments, employees must take their full pay stub to their state or local union officials for review and discussion. If there are still questions or concerns after this review, State and Local Presidents may submit these questions to the Industrial Relations Department.

These retro-active payments are another example of the importance of having a strong collective bargaining agreement. Under the 2021-2024 employees have received the following increases:

• 1.3% General Increase effective November 20, 2021
• 1.0% additional increase for PSEs effective November 20, 2021
• $0.63 per hour Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) effective February 26, 2022, for career employees
• $0.50 per hour extra for PSEs effective April 9, 2022
• $1.18 per hour COLA effective August 27, 2022

Employees will also receive two more general pay increases of 1.3% on November 19, 2022 and November 18, 2023, respectively, with PSEs receiving an additional 1.0% increase at the same time. Career employees will also receive four more COLA increases based on the movement of the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W (1967=100)) during the remaining term of the national agreement. Additionally, employees who have not reached top step of their respective pay grade, will continue to receive step increases.