Title 39, Postal ServiceRelease 119-102
§1206 Collective-bargaining Agreements
Title 39 › PART II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 12 — EMPLOYEE-MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS › § 1206
Summary
Agreements between the Postal Service and the recognized employee bargaining representatives must last at least 2 years. Those agreements can include ways to handle grievances and adverse actions, even that a neutral third party can decide the outcome and make it binding. If a dispute happens, the parties can agree to those procedures then. The Postal Service and the reps can also agree on methods to settle negotiation disputes or deadlocks.
Full Legal Text
Title 39, §1206
Postal Service, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Collective-bargaining agreements between the Postal Service and bargaining representatives recognized under section 1203 of this title shall be effective for not less than 2 years.
(b)Collective-bargaining agreements between the Postal Service and bargaining representatives recognized under section 1203 may include any procedures for resolution by the parties of grievances and adverse actions arising under the agreement, including procedures culminating in binding third-party arbitration, or the parties may adopt any such procedures by mutual agreement in the event of a dispute.
(c)The Postal Service and bargaining representatives recognized under section 1203 may by mutual agreement adopt procedures for the resolution of disputes or impasses arising in the negotiation of a collective-bargaining agreement.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective July 1, 1971, pursuant to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of this title. Use of Funds for Restructuring of Employee Compensation Practices Pub. L. 98–396, title III, § 303, Aug. 22, 1984, 98 Stat. 1422, provided that: “None of the funds made available to the United States Postal Service under this Act [see Tables for classification] or any other Act may be used to restructure employee compensation practices as in effect under the most recently effective collective bargaining agreement under section 1206 of title 39, United States Code, except in accordance with the results of procedures set forth in section 1207 of such title.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
39 U.S.C. § 1206
Title 39, Postal Service
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102