A simple way to think about it is this:

• A grievance is about enforcing the contract.

• An EEO complaint is about enforcing civil rights and anti-discrimination laws.

Both exist in the USPS workplace, and sometimes the same situation can touch both systems, but they are very different animals.

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1. What is a grievance?

For city letter carriers, a grievance is the way NALC enforces the National Agreement, local memorandums of understanding, and relevant USPS handbooks and manuals. If management violates the contract, the grievance procedure under Article 15 is how the union challenges that violation.

Examples of grievance issues include things like:

• Unjust discipline or removal

• Violations of overtime rules, scheduling, or holiday work

• Route inspections/adjustments not done properly under the contract

• Denial of leave that violates agreed-to rules

• Violations of safety rules or postal handbooks that are enforceable under Article 19

The grievance procedure is a negotiated contract process between NALC and USPS. It starts with your shop steward and moves through steps (Informal Step A, Formal Step A, Step B, and potentially arbitration) with strict time limits, typically, for letter carriers, the problem must be brought to management and the union within 14 days of when the carrier or the union first learned of the issue.

So: a grievance is the union saying, “Management violated the contract, and we’re enforcing our agreement.”

 

2. What is an EEO complaint?

An EEO complaint is not about the contract—it is about discrimination or harassment based on a protected characteristic under federal law and EEOC regulations. USPS Publication 133 explains that the EEO process covers things like discrimination (including harassment and hostile work environment) based on:

• Race or color

• Sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity)

• National origin

• Religion

• Age (40 and over)

• Disability / perceived disability

• Genetic information

• Retaliation for prior EEO activity or opposing discrimination

An EEO matter could include things like:

• Being disciplined more harshly because of your race

• Sexual harassment by a supervisor or coworker

• Being denied a job, bid, or accommodation because of your disability

• A “hostile work environment” where the hostility is tied to a protected basis (for example, racist or sexist comments)

The EEO complaint process is governed by federal regulations (29 C.F.R. Part 1614) and explained for postal employees in USPS Publication 133 – “What You Need to Know About EEO.”

So: an EEO complaint is you saying, “I’ve experienced discrimination or harassment that violates civil rights laws, and I’m using the federal EEO process.”

 

3. How are they different?

Source of rights

• Grievance: Enforces the National Agreement, Local MOU, and enforceable USPS handbooks/manuals. It’s a labor-management / union contract process.

• EEO complaint: Enforces federal anti-discrimination laws and EEOC regulations. It’s a civil-rights complaint process, not a contract dispute.

Who runs the process

• Grievance: Run jointly by NALC and USPS through Article 15 (steward, local management, Step B team, arbitrators).

• EEO complaint: Run through USPS’s EEO office/NEEOISO, under EEOC rules, and possibly reviewed by the EEOC itself.

Typical issues

• Grievance: Contract violations—overtime, schedules, pay, discipline, route adjustments, leave, safety, etc.

• EEO: Discrimination/harassment based on protected characteristics or reprisal for EEO activity.

Who represents you

• Grievance: Your NALC steward/union representative handles the case—it is the union’s grievance.

• EEO: You may choose any representative (including a union steward, another employee, an attorney, or someone else) as long as doing so doesn’t conflict with that person’s official duties.

Time limits

• Grievance: Very short contractual time limits (for city carriers, generally 14 days from when you or the union became aware of the violation to start the process with management).

• EEO: You generally must contact an EEO Counselor within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory act or the effective date of the personnel action.

Choosing one or both

USPS guidance notes that if you file both a grievance and an EEO complaint on the same matter, the Postal Service may defer processing of the EEO complaint until the grievance procedure is finished, and federal EEO rules generally require employees to elect one route for a particular discriminatory action.

In practice, that means you need to think carefully—and often talk to your steward—about whether a particular situation should be pursued as:

• Contract only (grievance),

• EEO only, or

• Contract plus EEO issues that are clearly separated.

 

4. How to start a grievance (NALC/USPS)

This is a general outline—always follow your local branch’s instructions and the exact contract language.

1. Contact your NALC steward quickly.
   As soon as something feels wrong, discipline, schedule change, overtime violation, denial of leave, etc.—talk to your shop steward or branch officer. The grievance clock is short (typically 14 days), so delays can cost the case.

2. Informal Step A discussion.
   The employee, union, and immediate supervisor must have an Informal Step A discussion about the issue within the time limits. This is where many problems can be fixed early. Your steward leads this.

3. If not resolved, appeal to Formal Step A.
   If management doesn’t resolve the problem, the union may appeal to Formal Step A within the contractual time limit (normally 7 days from the Informal discussion). The steward completes the appropriate grievance form (Joint Step A form for city carriers), lays out the facts, contract provisions, and remedy requested, and sends it to the installation head or designee.

4. Further appeals (Step B and arbitration).
   If the grievance is still not resolved, NALC may appeal to Step B (Dispute Resolution Team) and, if necessary, to arbitration. At these stages the case may be handled by branch officers, NBA offices, and trained advocates.

From the employee’s standpoint, the key “how to file” steps are:

Tell your steward quickly, provide all documents and details you have, and sign statements or forms the steward prepares so they can meet the contractual deadlines.

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5. How to file an EEO complaint 

USPS Publication 133 and EEOC guidance lay out a specific sequence: pre-complaint (informal) counseling, then formal complaint, then investigation and possible hearing/appeal.

Step 1 – Contact an EEO Counselor (within 45 days)

• You must contact an EEO Counselor or the USPS EEO Centralized Intake Center within 45 calendar days of the discriminatory act or effective date of the personnel action.

• USPS posts contact information for its EEO office in workplaces and in Publication 133; you can also find it on USPS’s official site or in local postings.

• When you contact them, you start the pre-complaint (informal) process.

Step 2 – Pre-complaint counseling / ADR

• The EEO Counselor has a limited time (generally 30 days) to look into the issue and attempt an informal resolution, unless time is extended or you choose mediation/ADR.

• You can choose to participate in USPS’s mediation program (REDRESS II) instead of traditional counseling in many cases; participation is voluntary unless ordered by EEOC.

• You have the right to be accompanied and represented by a representative of your choice (subject to conflict-of-duties rules).

If the matter is not resolved informally, the counselor will give you a written Notice of Right to File a Formal Complaint.

Step 3 – File a formal EEO complaint (within 15 days)

• After you receive your Notice of Right to File, you generally have 15 calendar days to submit a formal written EEO complaint to the designated USPS office (often NEEOISO / EEO Centralized Intake Center, by mail or as otherwise instructed).

• Your formal complaint will identify:

  • Who you are (complainant)

  • The agency (USPS)

  • The specific discriminatory actions (what happened, when, and why you believe it is based on a protected factor or reprisal)

  • The basis or bases (race, sex, age, disability, etc.)

  • The remedy you are seeking

Once filed, USPS will review the complaint, decide which claims are accepted for investigation, and assign an investigator.

Step 4 – Investigation, hearing, and appeals (big picture)

• USPS must investigate accepted claims within a set time frame.

• After the investigation, you can:

  • Request a hearing before an EEOC administrative judge, or

  • Ask for a final agency decision without a hearing.

• If you disagree with the final agency decision or EEOC decision, you may be able to appeal to the EEOC or file a civil action in federal court within specified time limits.

 

6. Putting it all together

• If the core problem is management breaking the contract (overtime, routes, leave, discipline procedures, etc.), your main tool is the NALC grievance procedure, start by contacting your steward quickly.

• If the core problem is discrimination or harassment based on race, sex, age, disability, etc., or retaliation for prior EEO activity, your main tool is the EEO complaint process—contact an EEO Counselor or the Intake Center within 45 days.

• Some problems have both contract and EEO pieces; in those situations, it’s wise to talk with your steward or a knowledgeable representative early, so you understand the deadlines and the election of remedies issue before you choose your path.

 

For more information or help filing an EEO contact a shop steward or a branch officer (714) 748-1100