Volume 41, Number 1, March 2013 - CUPW members in both the urban and rural bargaining units have ratified their respective collective agreements. Both agreements were achieved only after lengthy negotiations. In the case of the urban unit, the settlement was negotiated as part of the final offer selection process established pursuant to the back-to-work legislation imposed by the Harper government. The rural agreement was reached as part of a negotiated settlement without government intervention, but the possibility of back-to-work legislation was a factor in the union’s decision to recommend acceptance.
Message from the negotiating committee - The National Executive Board (NEB) has decided to put the tentative collective agreement to a vote of the membership. If the membership supports the NEB recommendation, the changes will be incorporated into the collective agreement, which will remain in force until December 31, 2015 or until the parties obtain the right to lockout or strike. If the membership does not ratify the tentative agreement, the NEB will decide our course of action. After many frustrating months we have reached the point where we believe it is appropriate to put the decision into the hands of the membership. We are supporting this agreement not only because it contains some significant improvements, but also because we are aware of the level of uncertainty that exists in collective bargaining in the federal sector. Considering the experience of other unions in the rail and airline sectors, and also the experience of the CUPW urban operations unit, we believe there is no guarantee of success if we pursue the conciliation/strike route at this time. The anti-labour bias of the Harper government has only served to reinforce the hardline that has been taken by Canada Post management during the entire length of negotiations.
Message From the National Executive Board - Brothers and Sisters - The National Executive Board (NEB) is asking you to decide on the tentative agreement because we believe that such an important decision must be placed in the hands of all of the members who will have to live with its consequences. The choices are very difficult because of the terms of the back-to-work legislation passed by the Harper government and the extreme position that was adopted by Canada Post management during the arbitration process, before it was temporarily stopped by the court. The back-to-work legislation imposed a Final Offer Selection process in which the government-appointed arbitrator must operate under a mandate heavily biased in favour of the employer. The situation is further worsened by the position taken by CPC management that they consider there to be dozens of issues in dispute, all of which could be included in their final offer should the arbitration proceed. Despite the justice of our position and the experience and expertise of our negotiating committee, we are in a very difficult position.
(Volume 10 • Number 1 • January 2012) A historic round of Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) negotiations is about to begin. This is CUPW’s first time going into RSMC negotiations with the right to strike. While much progress has been made since January 1, 2004 when this current agreement took effect, CUPW’s eventual goal is equality with the urban operations (UPO) bargaining unit. All three of the themes of this round of bargaining— fairness, respect, and progress—apply to our health and safety (H&S).
The 2012 negotiations represent a historic opportunity to negotiate real parity between RSMCs and urban postal workers. For decades RSMCs have performed work which requires equivalent skill, effort and responsibility. Now, the time has come to obtain equal pay and the same benefits and working conditions as other postal workers. Now it’s time for fairness, respect and progress.
VOTE YES!! After five months of difficult and frustrating negotiations we need to send Canada Post management a strong message. “Drop your demands for concessions and address the Union’s proposals for equality, respect and a share of the benefits of automation. And do it now!”
Negotiations continue between CUPW and CPC for 48,000 members in urban operations. These negotiations reflect the deep division which exists between the parties. While both parties agree that Canada Post faces future challenges because of the erosion of mail volumes, there are vast differences in the solutions being proposed by management and the union.
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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.
This year, CUPW is proud to celebrate the Pride season under the theme "Workers United Against Hate" proposed by the Canadian Labour Congress. As we face a shocking rise in anti-LGBTQ hate in Canada and around the world, this theme is more important than ever.
On Monday, May 19, CUPW issued a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post. This action was not taken lightly, but it was done for several reasons.
The collective agreements for the Urban Postal Operations and the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers bargaining units, which were extended by the Government in December 2024, are set to expire Friday, May 23 at midnight.
Commissioner Kaplan’s report of the Industrial Inquiry Commission skews heavily in favour of Canada Post’s positions and recommendations. We fundamentally disagree with the bulk of its recommendations and challenge some of the information on which it was based. We have also objected to the entire process, but we felt that we had to participate in order to give voice to postal workers. The report also outlines three possible steps forward after May 22. It is important to note that this is not a done deal. It is up to Minister Patty Hajdu to decide what to do with the report – if anything at all.
May 18 is Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. Every year, on this day, we remember the Tamil people who have died since 1948 because of the genocide committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state, including the massacre in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, in May 2009.
We received Commissioner Kaplan’s lengthy report today on bargaining between CUPW and Canada Post. It comes out of the Industrial Inquiry Commission convened by the former Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, under section 108 of the Canada Labour Code.
Canada Post put out a message today to all CUPW members in the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers units about benefits coverage and working conditions upon the expiry of the collective agreements on May 22.
This afternoon, Canada Post negotiators informed CUPW that they were leaving the bargaining table, calling it a “temporary pause,” to put together another set of offers. Canada Post would not provide a date for when the Union will receive these proposals. It could be in a few days; it could be next week. Given the seriousness of the matter, it is reprehensible to keep workers and the public on edge when we should all be focused on negotiating good collective agreements that will benefit workers and grow our public service to meet the needs of all Canadians.
The Union has been actively pursuing confirmation from Canada Post that it will respect the post-retirement benefits entitlements of retiring members. The Union was looking to confirm that members who retire will be eligible for post-retirement benefits in the event that the retirement would occur during a labour disruption.
Many members and their dependants are on prescription drugs commonly known as maintenance drugs or long-term medications. These are drugs you may take on a regular basis to treat conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes.
As reported in Negotiations Bulletin #75, CUPW and Canada Post returned to the bargaining table on Wednesday and Thursday this week in Ottawa. The meetings were facilitated by two Mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) who are very familiar with our file.