Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers have voted to reject a tentative agreement with the U.S. Postal Service.

Of the members, 63,680 voted to reject the agreement while 26,304 voted to accept it, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) said in a news release Friday. 

NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said in a statement that the union plans to reopen negotiations within five days. 

“In a democratic vote, the will of NALC’s membership has been made clear,” Renfroe said. “The tentative agreement that represented the best offer the Postal Service put on the table is not good enough for America’s city letter carriers. We have earned more and we deserve more.”

The postal service did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Monday morning.

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The NALC reached a tentative agreement regarding the proposed 2023-2026 National Agreement on Oct. 17. Ballots were mailed starting on Dec. 9 and they needed to be returned by Jan. 13, the NALC said in a news release.

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What changes are in the proposed agreement?

If approved, the tentative agreement would last until Nov. 7, 2026. The tentative agreement includes changes to the postal service’s wage increases, as well as an anti-discrimination clause, according to a proposed agreement on the NALC website. 

According to the tentative agreement, all city letter carriers would receive general wage increases of 1.3% versus 1.1% as it was listed before.

Increases would be issued:

• Effective Nov. 18, 2023 – 1.3% paid retroactively
• Effective Nov. 16, 2024 – 1.3% paid retroactively
• Effective Nov. 15, 2025 – 1.3%

Another change to the current agreement is that pregnancy is protected from discrimination. There was also language adjustment to remove the words “handicapped employees” and instead include the phrase “individuals with disabilities.”

And in addition to the 10 holidays observed for full-time and part-time regularly-scheduled employees, the new agreement includes Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday in 2021.

The agreement calls for the creation of a District Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee at the district level that will meet quarterly. 

“District Safety Committees are responsible for assisting in implementing district-wide safety initiatives, facilitating communication between area and local safety committees, and assisting local committees,” the document reads.

Members pushed in the proposed contract for increased annual allowances for uniform costs, calling for $536 in May 2025 plus an additional $125 for newly eligible carriers, and $549 in May 2026 plus an additional $128 for newly eligible carriers.

Also suggested is that unused portions of an employee’s annual allowance for uniforms be carried over.

Renfroe said in his statement last week that the “NALC is well prepared to fight like hell for a better contract.”

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [email protected].