ALEXANDRIA, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a Complaint against the Postal Service alleging that it violated federal labor law by failing to bargain with the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) and provide information to the NRLCA concerning last year’s massive Postal Service data breach. The Complaint, issued on March 31, stems from an unfair labor practice charge filed by the NRLCA on November 19, 2014.

The 2014 Postal Service “cyber intrusion” involved hackers who obtained unauthorized access to large amounts of sensitive information about Postal employees. The Postal Service has admitted it knew about the breach for months before notifying the NRLCA, other Postal unions and the public. It is the NRLCA’s contention that former USPS Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe’s deliberate decision to keep this information from Postal employees and to respond to the crisis without the involvement of the NRLCA or other unions prevented Postal employees from immediately acting to monitor and protect their private information.

As part of its remedy, the NLRB General Counsel is demanding that the Postal Service post notices about the violations and its obligation to follow the law in all post offices with rural letter carriers. Also, the NLRB General Counsel is demanding that a high-level management representative record a reading of the notice and post it on the Postal Service’s Lite Blue website for all employees to see. Finally, the NLRB General Counsel is demanding that the Postal Service bargain with the NRLCA “for a minimum of 15 hours a week until an agreement or lawful impasse is reached or until the parties agree to a respite in bargaining.”

Responding to the NLRB Complaint, NRLCA President Jeanette Dwyer stated, “This is a major development in the Union’s efforts to protect rural carriers’ personal data by acquiring more information about the breach and requiring the Postal Service to discuss the impact of the breach and what it intends to do to remedy the situation and protect employee data in the future. The NRLCA will continue in its efforts to ensure that the Postal Service takes every conceivable step to protect the personal information of rural letter carriers’ and all Postal employees.”

The NLRB has scheduled a trial in this case on May 20, 2015, before an administrative law judge in Washington, DC.

Release No. 15-1
Jeanette Dwyer, President, 703-684-5545
www.nrlca.org

via NRLCA Announces: NLRB Issues Complaint Against United States Postal Service for Failing to Bargain Over and Provide Information to NRLCA Regarding Massive USPS Data Breach | Business Wire.