Our Union Will Deliver Pension and Social Assistance Cheques, and Ensure Safety of Live Animals in the Event of a Lockout or Strike

Our public post office distributes government cheques that are a fundamental part of the social safety net. We do not want pensioners and those with low-income to suffer if the union is locked out or forced to strike. After all, our dispute over contract issues should be directed at Canada Post, not the most vulnerable members of our society. In addition, your union wants to make sure that live animals are not trapped in the mail system during a work disruption, as they were in 2011.

CUPW has therefore negotiated two agreements with Canada Post to ensure the delivery of many government cheques and the safety of live animals in the event of a lockout or strike. One agreement covers Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) members and the other is for Urban Operations members.

Highlights of the agreements: 

• There would be up to two national days of delivery each month.
• Your local would recruit volunteers as required. 
• As in 1997, 2011 and 2016, volunteers would receive a $50.00 honorarium. Legal experts have advised us that the honorarium may be necessary to protect members who file workers' compensation claims.
• RSMC volunteers would also receive 52 cents per kilometer driven.

The agreements are very similar to those we signed in 1997, 2011 and 2016, and the one negotiated but not used in 2003. In 2016, we added the provision relating to live animals.

Members who sort or deliver cheques while their local is locked out or on strike would be able to use these days to qualify for strike pay.

In the event that a lockout or strike sets these agreements in motion, please consider donating any honorarium received to charity. CUPW does not provide services during work disruptions for the money.

In Solidarity,