Prepared for the 20th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics May 30th to June 2nd, 2012, Brighton, U.K. <p></p>On June 2, 2011, following eight months of collective bargaining negotiations, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) initiated a series of rotating work stoppages conducted in various communities in Canada. On June 14, Canada Post Corporation (CPC) initiated a nation-wide lockout of 48,000 postal workers which completely stopped the delivery and processing of mail. Immediately following management’s implementation of the lockout, the Canadian government announced it would introduce back-to-work legislation. The government claimed that the labour disruption was causing major economic damage.
The National Work Measurement Committee (NWMC) meeting was attended by 2 members from every region, except for the Québec region. Brother Sylvain Lapointe, who is the regional grievance officer from Montréal as well as a negotiator for the urban collective agreement, was present for the entire meeting.
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On September 25, the Negotiators met with Canada Post to receive global offers for both the Urban and RSMC Units. Canada Post has published a mailer outlining what it considers the “highlights” of its offers. As your Lead Negotiators, we will take the liberty to offer some perspective on these “highlights.”
The Education Department held a Symposium for CUPW facilitators from September 12 – 15, 2024. In total, 90 people took part, including participants (CUPW worker educators), Regional Education and Organizing Officers (REOOs), Union Reps (URs), staff, those facilitating sessions, guest speakers, and our 2nd National Vice-President, Coleen Jones.
The public post office distributes government cheques that are a vital part of the social safety net. We do not want pensioners and people who rely on government assistance to suffer if the Union is locked out or forced to strike. The most vulnerable members of our society should not be caught in the crosshairs of our contract dispute with Canada Post. In addition, we want to make sure that live animals are not trapped in the mail system during a work disruption.
Today, September 25, the Negotiators are meeting with the Employer to receive global offers for both the Urban and RSMC bargaining units. Details to follow...
On several occasions at the negotiation table, Canada Post has referred to the language in our Collective Agreement as NOISE!
In the Employer’s view, there is “too much noise” in the Collective Agreement and they have made it clear during this round that they wish for it to be silenced.
In the last bulletin, we laid out some of the big issues left to be resolved in our discussions with CPC on a new hourly rate system.
There are other problems that still need to be addressed to ensure the new system protects members’ health and safety and job security.
You need to stay informed regarding negotiations as well as on all other important Union matters.
To ensure members remain informed, CUPW is using all means available to provide you with current information.
As part of the 2021 contract renewal, CUPW and CPC agreed to transition RSMCs to an hourly rate of pay system dependent on a new way to assess workload and work content. Any issues outstanding were to be dealt with during this round of negotiations.
Over the past few weeks, it has been an incredible experience visiting work floors and connecting with members. Hearing your experiences, concerns, and hopes for a better workplace has been encouraging. Our collective actions are truly making a difference, and the energy is evident as we continue to build momentum together.