NLRB starts investigation in PA post office after rural carriers file unfair labor practice charge

CRANBERRY TWP — The U.S. Postal Service in the township is being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board for unfair labor practices.
An employee, whose name was withheld by the labor board, is accusing the Postal Service of two types of wrongdoings: changes in terms and conditions of employment and refusal to bargain/bad faith bargaining.
The complaint, filed Dec. 23, claims that during the previous six months, the Postal Service discriminated against rural mail carriers by “imposing more onerous working conditions and placing the onus on National Rural Letter Carriers Association and its representatives, in order to undermine the union and restrain employees in their effort to engage in union activity.”
Tad Kelley, postal service spokesman, said in a statement that the post office’s operations are running smoothly.
“Career employees are afforded collective bargaining rights with their representative unions. We prefer to keep discussions between these parties confined to the bargaining table and afford these communications the confidence they deserve,” he said.
An attorney with the Rural Letter Carriers Association would not comment on the case.
The township’s post office is at 240 Executive Drive. James Chesney is the postmaster.
The labor board is a federal agency whose duties include investigating alleged unfair labor practices.

Source: The Cranberry Eagle Online