Effective on September 6, 2014, all career Mail Handler craft employees are scheduled to receive both the second and fourth of seven possible cost-of-living (COLA) adjustments as outlined in Articles 9.3 and 9.7 of the 2011 National Agreement. These two COLA increases are based on: 1) the upward change in the relevant Consumer Price Index (CPI) Base following release of the July 2013 Index (this amount totaled $540, and as prescribed in the Fishgold Arbitration Award, the implementation of this COLA increase was delayed by one year); and 2) the upward change in that Index Base following release of the July 2014 Index (this amount totaled $687, but was not subject to a deferral period). Taken together, these two COLA adjustments resulted in an annual increase of $1,227 for all Steps in Table 1 and for Step P of Table 2. The remaining Steps in Table 2 have received the proportional COLA increase percentages as outlined in Article 9.7 of the National Agreement.
