Agreement on Processing and Delivery of Government Cheques in the Event of an Interruption of Postal Service Resulting from a Strike or Lockout

This is our understanding of the general parameters of the agreement.

1. CUPW members agree to volunteer to process and deliver government payments, federal, provincial and municipal to senior citizens, low income people and others who receive pension cheques and various forms of social assistance.

2. Canada Post Corporation will provide CUPW with a list of the pension and government assistance cheques that are to be processed and delivered.

3. There will be up to 2 days of delivery each month. CUPW and Canada Post Corporation will maximize resources to minimize the number of hours required for processing. Canada Post Corporation will provide CUPW with a list of the sortation and delivery dates. The Corporation will inform municipal, provincial and federal governments of these dates.

4. CUPW members (from Groups 1 and 2) agree to volunteer to work in locations as required. The Corporation will inform CUPW of the number of volunteer employees required in each location. National CUPW agrees that a sufficient number of volunteer employees will be recruited to process and deliver government social assistance cheques in accordance with this agreement. Consultation will be held nationally and locally when the Corporation has finalized the numbers of volunteers required.

5. To the extent practicable, normal procedures will be followed for delivery to lock boxes, general delivery and homes.

6. Letter carriers and relief letter carriers will volunteer to deliver on their own routes and/or assist as required on uncovered routes. It is understood by the parties that letter carriers may be asked to deliver on multiple routes dependent on volume. Normal conveyance modes will be available where required and letter carriers may use their private vehicles.

7. All employees volunteering to process and deliver social assistance cheques will be given picket passes by the Union. Delivery employees will wear their uniforms and will be permitted to wear union buttons, pins or similar products.

8. The parties will agree to a mechanism to ensure that undeliverable cheques are delivered locally and nationally. A second carry may be necessary at the Corporations discretion, on delivery days to deal with missorts and changes of address.

9. Canada Post will require that volunteer employees be paid fifty dollars ($50) for each day sorting and delivering social assistance cheques or performing other related duties.

10. CUPW will be given the opportunity to look inside vehicles carrying cheques before they cross picket lines in the presence of local management personnel who are representatives of operations.

11. The parties will act as if the provisions of the collective agreement as they relate to Health and Safety, Grievance and Arbitration, Discipline and Injury on Duty will apply, with appropriate changes, to the Corporation and employees on an individual basis, while cheques are being processed and delivered.

12. The parties intend this agreement to be legal and binding.