Arbitration resumed on September 26 with a very intense schedule. There are 8 days of hearings scheduled over a three week period. Canada Post continued presenting its evidence.
Since May 1, when this campaign launched, the organizing campaign by Foodora couriers in Toronto and Mississauga has been intense and high-profile. CUPW is proud to join their struggle and welcome them as members. Since our last bulletin on the campaign, we’ve accomplished a lot.
We represent TForce Final Mile couriers and other employees in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kelowna, Victoria, Prince George, Kamloops and Nanaimo. CUPW served notice to bargain for all these units in December 2017. It’s been a rough round of bargaining at times. As you’ve seen in previous updates, we are now concluding successful negotiations in one unit after another
DSRA – RSMC Log Sheets / Urban Edit Books - Canada Post Corporation (CPC) is working on a new modernized system called Delivery Systems Re-Architecture (DSRA).- Through this new system CPC has currently digitized the RSMC log sheets and Point of Call (POC) maintenance report. This means that information currently captured manually, will now be captured on the Portable Data Terminal (PDT). CPC will be implementing this new process nationally on September 30th, 2019. Log sheets will continue to be provided if requested.
We continue to meet regularly with Canada Post to resolve more issues pertaining to the 2011 Lockout. CPC will issue another payment on October 2, 2019, Pay Period 20, to those affected members who have not been paid for their entitlement under Article 21 (special leaves) of the collective agreement. CPC will not be sending out a letter of notification with an explanation for these payments.
On July 4, CUPW and the employer signed a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a committee to review the collective agreement articles concerning Groups 3 and 4. We need two (2) union representatives on this committee. Its mandate will be to review all the articles concerning Groups 3 and 4 in order to reach, if possible, an agreement to standardize these provisions. Its mandate will also be to develop a job description for the new Lead Hand classification in Groups 3 and 4.
We are discussing the possibility of a pilot project, under the Appendix “T” process , to test an alternative 40 hour work week condensed into 4 days to handle increased parcel and packet volumes from Direct to Depot Induction (DDI) in 3 installations in the Pacific Region. The project that is being considered would begin in February 2020 and last for one year. Upon completion of the pilot, under Appendix T either CUPW or Canada Post can elect to discontinue the project. Three installations in the Pacific Region will participate – Maple Ridge, North Burnaby and Port Coquitlam. If you do not work in one of these installations, this pilot project will not affect you.
Mental Health is a serious issue in society and it is no different at the Post Office. More than 30% of our members who are off on Long Term Disability are off due to mental health issues. When we receive statistics for the Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), we see that for every quarter there is at least one member who is calling because they are at a risk of inflicting self-harm.
**AMENDED** Phase three of RSMC retro payment will be on the October 17th pay. This payment will cover the retro payments for the Rest Period Allowance (RPA), Personal Contact Items (PCI) and admail (Neighbourhood Mail).
IMPORTANT: You have until September 30, 2019 to use your actual points. During this round of negotiations, the parties agreed language that gives RSMC employees the same uniform entitlement as Urban Letter Carriers. Hence, the same uniform and the same colour. As part of the transition to the new points system, all existing points that RSMCs have accumulated will expire on October 1, 2019.
Support Postal Banking - Download and Sign the Petition
Canada needs a postal bank. Thousands of rural towns and villages in our country do not have a bank, but many of them have a post office that could provide financial services. As well, nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders. A postal bank could be that alternative. Download and sign the petition urging the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to add postal banking, with a mandate for financial inclusion.
The results from yesterday's federal election are in, and we now know that the next government will be led by Prime Minister Mark Carney of the Liberal Party.
Few could have predicted this result just a few months ago. But a trade war with the US and threats to annex Canada upended the campaign and completely changed the political landscape.
On Wednesday April 30, your Negotiators are returning to the bargaining table in Ottawa to continue their efforts to secure good collective agreements for both the Urban Postal Operation (UPO) and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMCs) bargaining units.
It is with deep sadness I must convey news of the passing of Darrell Tingley, former CUPW President and lifelong union activist.
From a very early age Brother Tingley committed his life to further the struggle of postal workers and the Canadian and international working class.
The past several months have been very busy for the Union. And in the month ahead, there is still more to come: a federal election, the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) report, Canada Post’s 2024 annual report, and the end of the extension of our collective agreements. We know members have lots of questions about what is going to happen, especially after the extensions of our collective agreements.
The CUPW child care fund has been working with communities across Canada to create affordable, high quality non profit and public child care for nearly 30 years. From the beginning, the push for universal child care has been interwoven in the development of child care projects and the funding of research that informs and shapes policy.
April 28 is the National Day of Mourning. A day to honour and remember those who have lost their lives, suffered injuries, or become ill because of their work. On this day, we reflect and reaffirm our commitment to fight for workplace health and safety.
Founded in 2011 by Paul and Raven Lacerte, the Moose Hide Campaign began as a grassroots initiative along British Columbia’s Highway of Tears—a region marked by the tragic disappearance and murder of many Indigenous women and girls. The campaign encourages men and boys, alongside all Canadians, to commit to ending gender-based violence.
The April 28 election is happening as we are engaged in a fight for the future of our post office and our jobs. Canada Post is pushing for drastic changes which could lead to job cuts and negatively impact our communities. Canada Post’s sole shareholder is the Government. Who is in government matters. We represent a big voting bloc which could have an impact on election results – particularly in tight races. We can make the future of our public post office an election issue.
Now that hearings for the Industrial Inquiry Commission are complete, we'd like to remind members of some important dates in the weeks ahead. Commissioner Kaplan’s final report to the Minister of Labour is due May 15. His report will give the Minister recommendations about how to resolve the issues in dispute in bargaining. It may also include recommendations about the structure and operations of Canada Post. We made our position clear throughout the hearings that these types of questions must only be dealt with in a fully public mandate review.
Postal workers are well aware that the planet is getting hotter. More and more, we are facing extreme events - such as an increasing number of wildfires with their toxic smoke, lethal heat domes and atmospheric rivers bringing more rain, more coastal storms and more flooding. But it’s children who are most at risk.