More On Health and Safety

Yesterday we shared some information about the injury rates at Canada Post which shows that there is a serious problem with health and safety. Many of our demands seek to improve the health and safety for postal workers. Nothing is more important than ensuring that each and every one of us works in a safe environment. What has Canada Post done at the bargaining table to improve health and safety for postal workers?

Our Health and Safety Demands

#32 – Establish a Social Steward Network. Why is CPC fighting against this demand? We have provided evidence that social stewards are effective and help prevent tragic situations. CPC should be supporting this demand.

#38 – Conduct ergonomic studies on new equipment and work methods. This is another demand that makes perfect sense. Why would any employer not want to ensure that new equipment and work methods are safe before implementation?

#41 – Improve protections under our right to refuse. We need to know that, when we use our right to refuse unsafe work, a thorough and unbiased investigation is done before a determination is made on whether or not the work is safe.

#43 – One-bundle delivery for letter carriers. We have mentioned this issue in several recent bulletins and have been fighting with CPC over this health and safety issue for years. Still CPC does not want to allow letter carriers to combine sequenced and manual mail at the sortation case so that they can deliver using a one-bundle method.

#’s 49, 51 and 69 – Limits on overtime. Canada Post continues to push back on our demand to limit overtime. Why does CPC want to force us to work more than 10 hours in one day?

#75 – CPC to provide appropriate corporate vehicles to all RSMCs. Not having the appropriate vehicle type for the roads and weather conditions that RSMCs must deal with on a regular basis is a major health and safety concern.

The majority of these health and safety demands impact both the RSMC and the Urban bargaining units and need to be addressed.

At this point in the negotiations, CPC has not agreed to any of these important health and safety demands while at the same time, they continue to push their agenda to reduce our health and safety training.

CPC has agreed to one health and safety concern for RSMCs. We have signed language that limits the amount that an RSMC can lift, to 50 pounds. It is time for Canada Post to do more and truly recognize the importance of health and safety.

We Deserve a Safe Work Environment