From: Charlie Cash <CCash@apwu.org>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2022
Subject: Retro Active Pay is Being Processed

Union Family,

Management has confirmed to us that the testing of the programming necessary for completion of the retroactive payments was completed Friday October 7, 2022. Processing of the Retroactive pay is being done and the pay will appear on paychecks on October 28, 2022.

However, during the testing the Postal Service identified a problem with approximately 700 employees. These are employees who are listed as being in a Saved Grade/Saved Pay Status. These employees could receive a partial payment on October 28, 2022 but many of this group will not receive any retro pay in the October 28, 2022. The Postal Service has informed us that they are developing a patch that will be tested. They expect these ~700 employees to receive their retroactive payment on the November 10, 2022 paycheck—a one pay period delay. If this changes, I will notify the field.

The Postal Service has provided me with a list of the 713 employees who were affected by this. My department is currently in process of identifying what local represents each affected employee. We will then send the list of the affected employee(s) to the Regional Coordinators and the individual local presidents who have an affected member.

As with all large-scale payments like this we expect that a few glitches will occur and payments will not be made. These payments will have to be processed manually by a specialist at the Accounting Services center.

I am sure individuals will be asking questions about their retroactive payments. Some things to remember:

• No one person will receive the same amount as they are based on an individual’s paid hours during the retroactive period(s)
• These are the retroactive periods:
  • November 20, 2021 through June 3, 2022*
    • 1.3% General increase for all employees
    • 1.0% Additional increase for Postal Support Employees (PSEs)
  • February 26, 2022 through June 3, 2022*
    • $0.63 per hour COLA for career employees
  • April 9, 2022 through July 29, 2022*
    • Extra $0.50 per hour for PSEs
  • September 25, 2021 through June 3, 2022*
    • Pay Changes to Grade 11 employees

*Remember, the new rates started being paid June 4, 2022 and July 30, 2022, respectively.

The last time retroactive pay adjustments were done under the 2018-2021 CBA, I sent out an explanation with an annotated pay stub. I will do that again once I get someone’s pay stub that shows the retroactive payments, I redact it, and I put the necessary notations on it.

For those employees who have been separated (retired, disability retirement, resigned, removed, medical separation, etc.) if they had any paid hours during the retro periods, they will be issued a paper check. The paper check will be sent to their last installation of record. They will need to contact that installation in order to arrange receipt of this paper check.

Finally, if individual members have questions after they have pulled their pay stubs and looked at them—they need to take those questions along with their pay stubs to their state or local officers. If the state or local officer needs assistance or has a specific question, they can email the question to my department at retroissues@apwu.org. Emails that come directly from members/non-members will be directed back to their local officers. I request that the inquiry emails include the employee’s name, EIN, specific issue being raised, and copies of the employee’s pay stub.

You may share with the field.

Thank you and remember—stay safe, wear your mask!

Charlie Cash
Industrial Relations Director
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO
202-842-4273 Office; 801-661-1979 Cell