Appendix L – Child Care Fund (Urban Postal Operations Collective Agreement)

1. The Corporation and the Union recognize the need for good quality affordable child care services for all employees and the need to provide employees with support in their child care responsibilities. Consequently, the Corporation agrees to contribute to a Child Care Fund (the Fund) and the Union agrees to administer this Fund in accordance with the following provisions.

 

2. The Fund is used exclusively for the following purposes:

(a) develop materials, and support community, child care and disability organizations to provide information and resources to CUPW members on child care and other related support;

(b) conduct analyses and research to assess child care and other related support needs and the methods used to meet these needs;

(c) establish or assist in establishing child care facilities and oversee their operation;

(d) pay subsidies for child care services and other related support;

(e) reach agreements with child care facilities or other institutions to provide or facilitate supports;

(f) hire staff or reimburse the salary of bargaining unit employees on Union leave for the above-mentioned purposes.

 

3. In principle, only those employees in the bargaining unit, their children, their grandchildren for whom the employee provides the primary financial and residential support and their adult children with special needs who are dependant on their parents for care shall be covered by the Fund.

However, insofar as other places remain available, they are offered by preference to other employees of the Corporation and their children, but the Fund shall not assume the costs of these services.

 

4. The Trust Fund that is already established to receive the monies from the Corporation shall be maintained. Withdrawals or cheques drawn on this account shall require the signature of two (2) persons specifically designated for this purpose by the Union. This requirement shall be reproduced in the banking arrangement documents between the financial institution and the Union.

 

5. Starting April 1^st, 2007, the Corporation shall deposit in the Trust Fund the amount of three hundred and six thousand dollars ($306,000) within fifteen (15) days after receiving the applicable quarterly financial statements of the Fund from the Union.

 

6. Starting April 1^st, 2008, the Corporation shall deposit in the Trust Fund the amount of three hundred and twelve thousand dollars ($312,000) within fifteen (15) days after receiving the applicable quarterly financial statements of the Fund from the Union.

 

7. Starting April 1^st, 2009, the Corporation shall deposit in the Trust Fund the amount of three hundred and eighteen thousand dollars ($318,000) within fifteen (15) days after receiving the applicable quarterly financial statements of the Fund from the Union.

 

8. Starting April 1^st, 2010, the Corporation shall deposit in the Trust Fund the amount of three hundred and twenty four thousand dollars ($324,000) within fifteen (15) days after receiving the applicable quarterly financial statements of the Fund from the Union.

 

9. Subject to paragraph 10 below, the Corporation shall also deposit in the Trust Fund, within fifteen (15) days after the Corporation’s Annual Report is tabled in the House of Commons, an amount equal to five tenths (5/10) of one percent (1%) of the Income from Operations from the Canada Post Corporation Unconsolidated Statement of Income. The Canada Post Corporation Unconsolidated Statement of Income will be provided to the Union at the same time as the Union receives the Annual Report.

 

10. Starting April 1^st, 2008, the sum of the amounts deposited in the Fund under paragraphs 6, 7, 8 and 9 shall not exceed two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) in any fiscal year.

 

11. At no time shall the Fund balance exceed two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000). Should a quarterly payment or an annual payment cause the Fund to exceed two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) then that payment shall be reduced such that the payment plus the Fund balance prior to the payment shall not exceed two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000). If within sixty (60) days subsequent to the date of the reduced payment, the Fund balance is reduced as a result of normal disbursements consistent with the mandate of the Fund then all, or a portion, of the funds withheld shall be paid such that the Fund balance is reinstated to a maximum of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000). After sixty (60) days, the amount of the funds withheld shall no longer be available.

 

12. All interest income shall accrue to the Fund.

 

13. The Union shall maintain financial records of monies received by and monies disbursed from the Fund. The Union shall ensure that arrangements are made to have all financial records and transactions audited by a firm of chartered accountants. The Corporation shall be authorized to question the specifics of an expenditure and the Union shall ensure that all disbursements from the Fund conform to the purpose described in paragraph 2 above, failing which all obligations under this appendix shall terminate.

 

14. Within thirty (30) days of the end of the Fund accounting year, the Union shall provide the Corporation with an audited financial statement certifying that all expenditures made from the Fund were in accordance with the purpose of the Fund and used exclusively for such purpose. At the request of the Corporation, the Union shall meet at the end of the accounting year with the Corporation to provide a report on the completed and ongoing projects of the Fund.

 

15. The Union agrees to add the following sentence to any document that is distributed describing the Fund: “ The Child Care Fund is administered by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and financed by the Canada Post Corporation.”