Union Wins Letter Carriers More Time to Prepare PCI & Bar-Coded Mail With Sequenced Mail

Additional 3.78 minutes per route will potentially add 70 jobs at current staffing levels

After more than 6 years, Canada Post finally listened to the Union’s concerns and agreed to provide letter carriers with the time needed to prepare personal contact (PCI) and bar-coded items in depots that have machine-sequenced mail.

The new Postal Transformation (PT) interim time values increase the time credited to motorized letter carriers for this work from 2.19 minutes to 5.97 minutes. With current staffing levels, this additional 3.78 minutes per route is worth about 70 jobs once it is structured into all Sequenced and CMB motorized routes. In line with Appendix V(1) 2.8 of the collective agreement, the new time value is being applied as routes are restructured.

Canada Post established the Postal Transformation (PT) work methods in 2008, and implemented the first depots under PT in 2010. During the validation process the Union demanded a number of changes – arguing that Canada Post’s PT work methods were not the methods letter carriers actually used.

One change the Union demanded was to the “in-depot” work methods Canada Post set for handling personal contact items and other bar coded products (S4/PCI Preparation). With Canada Post’s PT work method, letter carriers were given no time to obtain the PDT, or to scan the barcoded items, or to handle missorted PCI items. Motorized letter carriers received a flat 2.19 minutes per day to handle all their letter carrier sized PCIs and barcoded items – no matter how many they actually received.

Because the work methods letter carriers actually used were so different from those Canada Post had set and wanted to validate, Canada Post finally agreed to the Union’s demand to fix their official S4/PCI Preparation work methods, and provide improved interim time values.

The Union and Canada Post signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on July 10, 2015 that provides for a new Interim S4/PCI Preparation work method and time value. Motorized letter carriers now have time to obtain the PDT, read and scan the barcoded items and sequence these items into Letter Flattainers (LFTs). The previous interim time value of 2.19 minutes per day is replaced with 5.97 minutes per day for motorized routes in all Sequenced and CMB restructures commencing as of June 29, 2015.

While the increased S4/PCI Preparation time value does not apply to foot routes, Canada Post and the Union continue to meet to determine an adequate work method and time for this work for foot routes that receive sequenced mail.

The new Interim S4/PCI time value is based on thirty (30) items per day. Canada Post has agreed that once the joint Union/CPC validation of the interim standards are finished and the Final Standards are determined, the time credited to letter carriers for S4/PCI Preparation will vary according to the actual number of items each route receives. 

Solidarity,