NALC President: Letter Carriers Face Challenges in 2025

Just over one month into 2025, NALC President Brian L. Renfroe issued a statement outlining the challenges and fights letter carriers face this year. The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) represents over 280,000 members who have been fighting for their rights and benefits for over a century. This year, the NALC is ready to "fight like hell" for a fair contract, healthcare and retirement benefits, and safety for letter carriers.

The most pressing fight for the NALC is the ongoing battle for a fair contract. Letter carriers are the backbone of the Postal Service, delivering essential mail and packages to over 169 million delivery points nationwide. They deserve a fair contract that reflects their hard work and dedication. The NALC is demanding more from the Postal Service, as the current offer does not adequately compensate letter carriers for their services.

In addition to a fair contract, the NALC is fighting to defend the healthcare and retirement benefits of letter carriers. The White House budget proposes increasing the amount letter carriers and other federal employees contribute to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) without increasing benefits. The NALC sees this as a pay cut and an attack on letter carriers and their hard-earned benefits. The union is fighting to ensure that lawmakers do not use letter carriers or their benefits to balance the budget.

The NALC is also fighting against the heinous crimes and assaults committed against letter carriers. An injury to one is an injury to all, and the NALC will not stand idly by while criminals attack its members. The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act was reintroduced this week, and the NALC is fighting like hell to get Congress to prioritize the safety of letter carriers and pass this bill.

The fight for safety does not stop at ending crimes and assaults against letter carriers. The NALC is also fighting for a national heat safety standard to protect letter carriers and all workers who are exposed to extreme heat. Every year on record is hotter than the year before, and letter carriers continue to work in hotter conditions for longer stretches of the year. The NALC is fighting like hell until the Department of Labor's proposed rule is passed.

The NALC is also ready to stand against any efforts to privatize the Postal Service. Any such ideas are severely misguided and directly attack letter carriers, the universal service they provide, and a safe and reliable USPS. The Postal Service is older than our country and is established in the U.S. Constitution. The NALC will be in the fight against privatization until every member of Congress co-sponsors H.Res. 70.

Last month, decades of fighting paid off when the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law. With the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, all Civil Service Retirement System letter carriers will receive the full Social Security benefits they earned. But the fight for fair retirement for all letter carriers is not over. Nearly 70 percent of NALC members started their work at the Postal Service in non-career positions. Currently, this time is not credited under FERS. It's the same work as when they became career, and it's completely unfair that it doesn't count. The Federal Retirement Fairness Act, which would allow eligible letter carriers to buy back this time, will be reintroduced soon. The NALC will fight like hell to get this bill passed so we can achieve retirement fairness for all letter carriers.

The NALC is fighting to continue delivering to the 169 million delivery points nationwide that depend on them. They are fighting to keep being the respected eyes and ears of their communities, helping out when something is wrong. The NALC is fighting to keep giving back to their members who are in need, whether through NALC's Disaster Relief Foundation or their Emergency Response Team. They are fighting to expand training opportunities and availability so experienced advocates can represent all letter carriers. The NALC is fighting to continue giving back to important causes, like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and hosting the largest one-day food drive in the country, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Whatever the NALC is fighting for, regardless of the stakes, one thing won't change -- NALC members will come together and fight like hell. The union invites you to join them at the Fight Like Hell! kickoff event in Washington, D.C., at NALC headquarters on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 2 p.m. This event will bring NALC members and allies together to demonstrate their strength and commitment to securing what they deserve. It's a chance to unite, make their voices heard, and send a powerful message that they are ready to stand strong in this fight.

In conclusion, the NALC is fighting like hell in 2025 to secure a fair contract, defend healthcare and retirement benefits, ensure safety for letter carriers, and protect the Postal Service from privatization. The union is committed to fighting for the rights and benefits of its members and the broader community they serve.