ABSTRACT
Collective bargaining between the United States Postal Service and postal employees faces an uncertain future. The organization of the postal system has determined the nature of the bargaining relationship, and the bargaining relationship has been an important factor in the reorganization of the postal system. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 was the keystone of a new era of labor-management relations in the postal service. Prior to reorganization, the Postal Service was the political trading block of the federal government. The relationship between the Postal Service and its unions dates from 1889, when postal unions were formed. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 was a demonstration of the political power of the postal unions and how they could achieve labor relations goals outside collective bargaining. The most significant provisions of the Postal Reorganization Act concerned labor-management relations, which became generally subject to the National Labor Relations Act.
