News In Brief

Postal worker unions meet under cloud of strike threat

Members of two unions representing half a million postal workers began week-long conventions Monday amid veiled threats of a possible nationwide strike over suspended contract talks.

Some 3,200 delegates of the American Postal Workers Union and 5,000 members of the National Association of Letter Carriers are expected to vote to authorize a strike. The unions have been without a contract since rejecting the government's ''final offer'' last month. Government employees are forbidden to strike, although the workers have the option to accept binding arbitration of their dispute with the Postal Service.