The retroactive payments from the 2024-2027 contract have arrived. Here’s everything you need to know about who got it, how much to expect, and how it’s taxed.
What’s Being Paid
The retro pay covers the difference between what you were paid and what you should have been paid under the new contract terms. The retroactive period runs from November 16, 2024 (the date of the first general wage increase under the 2024-2027 agreement) through August 22, 2025.
This includes the 1.3% general wage increase that was effective November 16, 2024, the first COLA effective March 8, 2025, and any other contractual pay adjustments that applied during that window. If you worked hours during that period, you’re owed the difference between the old rate and the new rate for every hour worked or on paid leave.
Who Gets Retro Pay
Current APWU-represented employees who worked or had paid leave hours during the November 2024 through August 2025 period received retro pay automatically in their April 10 paycheck.
Separated employees — if you retired, resigned, or were discharged but had work or paid leave hours during the retro period, you should also receive a retroactive check. It will be sent to your last office on record. If you haven’t received it, contact your last employing office.
Retired employees will have their records with OPM updated by the Postal Service. Your annuity will eventually be adjusted to reflect the higher high-3 average, but once the records are sent to OPM, the timeline for that adjustment is up to OPM. This can take several months.
PSEs are included. If you were a PSE during the retro period, you received back pay for the applicable general wage increases.
How Much Should You Have Gotten?
The exact amount depends on your grade, step, and how many hours you worked during the retro period. But here’s a rough idea:
The 1.3% GWI on a PS-06 Step D salary of roughly $64,000 (the pre-increase rate) works out to about $832 annually, or $32 per pay period. Over the approximately 20 pay periods in the retro window, that’s roughly $640 in back pay just from the GWI — before adding the first COLA retro.
Higher grades and steps will see more. If you worked significant overtime during the retro period, your retro check will include the OT differential on the new rate as well.
Why Did It Take So Long?
The APWU was the third postal union contract settled in 2025 that required retroactive payments. The NRLCA (rural carriers) had complex pay table changes that had to be programmed into the payroll system first. The APWU acknowledged that their retro pay processing followed the NRLCA changes, and the substantial programming required for all the pay scale updates, PS Form 50 corrections, and record updates pushed the timeline to April.
The APWU had been pressing USPS to complete the payments sooner than the originally scheduled April 10 date, but the complexity of programming multiple pay structure changes meant the original timeline held.
What to Do Now
Check your earnings statement. The retro amount should appear as a separate line or supplemental payment on your April 10 paycheck. Verify that the retro period and amount make sense for your grade and hours worked.
If something looks wrong, contact your steward or the USPS HR Shared Service Center at 877-477-3273. Keep your old earnings statements from the retro period for comparison.
If you separated during or after the retro period and haven’t received your check yet, contact your last employing office to confirm they have your current mailing address on file.
Want to see what your current pay looks like with the latest contract rates? Our calculator is updated through the April 2026 COLA.
Calculate Your Take-Home Pay →Source: APWU 2024-2027 Contract Summary, APWU announcements on retroactive payment scheduling.