This bill expands Merit Systems Protection Board appeal rights to certain non-union USPS employees in supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial roles.
Gerald Connolly
Representative
VA-11
The Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendment Act of 2025 amends Title 39 of the U.S. Code, section 1005(a)(4)(A)(ii)(I), to extend the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board to certain non-unionized USPS employees. This includes those in supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial roles covered by the Executive and Administrative Schedule.
Bill Extends MSPB Appeal Rights to Non-Union USPS Supervisors and Professionals
The 'Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendment Act of 2025' proposes a specific change to the employment rules for certain U.S. Postal Service workers. It amends Title 39, Section 1005 of the U.S. Code to grant appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) for USPS officers and employees in specific roles who aren't represented by a union.
Who Gets a New Safety Net?
This change directly affects USPS employees working in supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial jobs covered by the Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS), provided they are not part of a collective bargaining unit. Think non-union postmasters, marketing specialists, IT staff, administrative officers, and various mid-level managers. Currently, unionized postal workers typically use negotiated grievance procedures for disputes. This bill aims to give these specific non-union employees access to the MSPB, which acts like an administrative court for federal employees facing significant personnel actions like removal, suspension for more than 14 days, or demotion. For instance, under this bill, an EAS-level supervisor facing termination, who isn't represented by a union, could formally appeal that decision to the MSPB for an independent review.
Leveling the Playing Field
The core idea here is extending due process rights. By granting MSPB access, the bill provides these non-union USPS employees with a formal, independent channel to challenge major adverse employment actions, similar to rights held by many other federal employees and unionized postal workers (though through different procedures). This introduces an additional layer of oversight and accountability for personnel decisions affecting this specific group within the USPS management and administrative structure. It essentially ensures these employees have a standardized path for appeal if they believe a major disciplinary action against them is unfair or improper.