Canada Post Strike Update July

[skylarstuff]

Canada Post extremely disappointed with CUPW’s response to its offers

Dear Canada Post customer,

I am writing to update you on our negotiations and advise you that there can be no legal work disruption before the expiry of a 72-hour notice, and one has yet to be filed.

On Saturday, June 25, 2016, we tabled offers in our separate negotiations with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW-Urban and CUPW-RSMC), which represent our delivery agents and plant employees. Our offers were designed to help bring a quick resolution to the negotiations and end the uncertainty that is negatively impacting our customers and our employees. Our offers included modest and manageable wage increases for all employees and no changes to the pension for all employees in the plan.

As you can read in our public statement, we are extremely disappointed with the response from CUPW. Late Friday evening, CUPW tabled offers that would add at least $1 billion in new costs over the term of a new collective agreement while rejecting the Corporation’s approach to address the long-term issues with the employee pension plan.

Rather than saddle customers with more than $1 billion in new costs, Canada Post continues to remain at the table to negotiate an agreement that is reasonable and affordable. In the event of a full disruption, Canada Post will not operate, deliver or accept new items. We will keep you updated on our progress.

Thank you for your business and your continued patience.

Sincerely,
Serge Pitre
Vice-president, Sales
Canada Post Corporation

[momcqueen]

Excellent idea. We can move this part of the discussion to a different thread so that anyone who is uncomfortable considering the impact of Community Mailboxes on Disabled Rights doesn't have to look at it. Or think about it.

[cumos55]

The reports will continue.....under this heading

All discussions should go to a separate discussion, with a unique heading,   within Seller Central  

I have been searching the internet and finding lots of information that will help us to understand  the negotiations.

Such information will be put in separate and unique discussions 

[dutchman48]

Maybe people should read this article from Stamporama and everyone may have a change in views and opinions.

Not sure if this is allowed, but I will post it here so everyone can relate their positions to his and his wifes.

CLUB NEWS

MITCHELL WARD

On Sunday, June 5th, Stamporama member Mitchell Ward (AntoniusRa) experienced a devastating house fire.
According to a gofundme account set up by family members, "this home was his entire asset and was
built by he and his family over the past several years. Mitch is a somewhat frail 65 year old and married to
Marlaina,  a  disabled,  lovely,  former  nurse.  They  lived  in  this  house  for  a  long,  happy  time.  
Fortunately, neither were injured".
 
Mitch joined SOR in August of 2015 and quickly became known for his daily "page of the day" postings and
his spirited contributions to the discussion board.
Many members came to look forward to the daily scans of album pages showing the classic worldwide stamps
that collectors have come to know and love.
 
On his  daily posting project, Mitch said, “I think it's a good way to introduce others to different countries
and hopefully for them to find a new area of interest to collect".
 
Thankfully, Mitch's collections were spared from the house fire.

Sadly, approximately 3 weeks after the fire, Mitchell suffered a terrible injury as a result of a fall while trying
to clean up the second floor of his home.
 
Another SOR member, Mike Owsian, has been in contact with the family and received news regarding Mitch's
condition.
 
Mitch's son Raymond stated that his father "suffered 2 broken feet and a severely broken pelvis. He went through 2
surgeries but is in recovery now. He has a very long road ahead of him though. I will get you a mailing address
here soon for him."
 
We, as a club, need  to reach  out  to one of our own in a concerted effort  to do what we can; some have
suggested a club wide fundraiser with donated auction and approval profits while others have given to a
gofundme  account.
 
This  account  can  be  found  at https://www.gofundme.com/28zwhqp8.
Words of encouragement are most certainly in order; Mitch can be reached at mitchellward52@yahoo.com

[momcqueen]

(My previous comment was in reply to cumos, not this post by Dutchman. Mobile devices don't let one 'reply' adequately.)

[marnotom!]

---

@dutchman48 wrote:

Maybe instead of constantly posting unsubstantiated junk, you should take the time to reread all the union demands, or better yet, write them out for yourself

You can post all the information you want, but allow others to do the same without slamming them every chance you get.

---

I'm not slamming anybody.  I'm just wondering what people like you find so "ridiculous" or "idiotic" about the union's proposals and for examples of what they see as an escalation of these proposals.

And I have yet to see a response to this.

[marnotom!]

---

@esclyons wrote:

a 2 tier wage system is one way to pay for the existing members increases and pensions, someone has to.. why would the union care if new hires make less money. they are not hired yet and have no say in the matter. and why would fellow workers care if new hires make less money, as long as it insures their wages are left intact..

---

Unions value equality and equity in worker treatment, and a two-tier wage structure goes against these values.  A union might consider a two-tier wage or salary structure if the new hires were to get something in exchange for their lower wages that would help balance the playing field.

It also sets a precedent for chipping away at the other benefits and conditions negotiated in the past.  If the union agrees to a two-tier wage structure in this round of bargaining, who's to say that things like health benefits, maternity leave and safety provisions aren't going to be next on the chopping block?

I don't understand this race to the bottom mentality that some people have.  How does a more poorly-paid workforce benefit society?  How does it benefit you?  How are they going to buy all your eBay items?

[dutchman48]

Here is my response.

They have excellent paying jobs for what they do and for the education they need.

They have excellent benefits.

They have excellent pensions.

A great % of the population would be very happy to have their jobs.

They are all replaceable without a great deal of problems.

They refuse to understand economies of scale and the changing market and economics.

They refuse to understand what was OK 50 years ago, does not work today.

They continually hold the public for ransom.

What they want is not realistic in today's economic situations.

Mail is reducing, how do they expect to keep the same number of full time employees?

They need to learn the definition of discrimination and not attempt to manipulate it to suit themselves. If it is so bad, take CP to court for it

Give them company vehicles to do their jobs, absolutely not.

If they think they have it so bad, why don't they quit and see what the real work place is like.

I can go on and on but am tired of you and your responses.

You sound like a union plant.

[marnotom!]

I wasn't asking what they had.  I was asking what was "ridiculous" or "idiotic" about their proposals and how you feel they are escalating.

Since you can't give an example of one of these "ridiculous" proposals, I have to assume that you're blindly following the anti-union party line.

As I said before, a 40 hour week with two days off was considered "ridiculous" not that long ago.

Maternity leave was considered "ridiculous" back in the day, too.

Vacation time was likely considered "idiotic" as well.

I could go on, but you probably don't see my point.

[dutchman48]

How about topped up maternity leave? They should get no more than the gov't allows as then they would be favored.

If they can't afford to have kids, plan better or don't have them.

How about wanting company cars?

How about wanting equal pay for people doing different jobs?

Maybe you need someone to go through the union demands and posts and itemize them 1 at a time so you don't have to read them.

As I said, read their demands instead of scoffing at everyone else with ludicrous comments that mean nothing.

Sorry, I am not anti union, I was president of a union at one time and they did not act like the CUPW, thank goodness

[marnotom!]

---

@dutchman48 wrote:

How about topped up maternity leave? They should get no more than the gov't allows as then they would be favored.

If they can't afford to have kids, plan better or don't have them.

How about wanting company cars?

How about wanting equal pay for people doing different jobs?

Maybe you need someone to go through the union demands and posts and itemize them 1 at a time so you don't have to read them.

As I said, read their demands instead of scoffing at everyone else with ludicrous comments that mean nothing.

Sorry, I am not anti union, I was president of a union at one time and they did not act like the CUPW, thank goodness

---

Okay, thank you!  Now we're getting somewhere instead of having to read meaningless scoffing directed at CUPW.  I'm not sure what you mean by saying that the workers would be "favoured" if they had topped up maternity leave, though.  Favoured by whom?  Why and how?

These proposals don't strike me as being particularly ludicrous, quite frankly, particularly the pay equity issue.  As you well know, when you negotiate you start with your ideal scenario and in the negotiations process it gets whittled down to something which both sides can hold their noses and accept.  You don't open with what you're willing to get.  Same idea when you're dickering with a car salesperson.  You don't make your final offer straight out of the gate.

I'm betting in ten years or so some of CUPW's proposals will become standard fare in the workplace, just like maternity leave has for everyone in Canada.

Sounds to me as though you may have enjoyed better relations with your employer than CUPW does, so you may not have had to play the same ballgame.

 

[lady.stark]

I don't understand... another one of my posts disappeared without any reason... so here it is again...

---

@mjwl2006 wrote:
My first ever late shipment defect for domestic lettermail was received in the week leading up to the July 2 deadline.

---

MJ, were you able to get your defect removed?

[momcqueen]

Not yet. I tried unsuccessfully but I'm not finished with it.

[dutchman48]

bla bla bla and more bla

[cumos55]

What’s Next?

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Wednesday July 27 2016

2015-2019/158

No 56

Yesterday, we updated you on the history and timelines of this round of negotiations. We are sure that many of you are now asking what comes next. At this point in the process, that is the million dollar question but we all need to be prepared for anything. We all need to continue doing what we are doing and keep the pressure on Canada Post to seriously negotiate.

Big Issues

We are still working hard at resolving the many big or key issues that remain outstanding. For months, we have been working on getting an agreement on a process to improve Group 1 (internal) staffing and a process to create and protect more regular full-time and part-time jobs. Equity is an issue that will not go away, and yet Canada Post does not seem to want to discuss this at the table. There is still no resolve on a safe, one-bundle delivery method for letter carriers. We still need to address the concerns of Groups 3 & 4 (tech services).

CPC: It is Time to Get Serious

It is time for Canada Post to come to the table ready to address our key issues. The clock continues to tick yet Canada Post does not seem willing to accelerate the pace of negotiations. Canada Post needs to understand that basic, fundamental union issues must be addressed to help get this process moving towards a settlement. Why do we not have an agreement on RSMC seniority? Why do we not have an agreement on one-bundle delivery for letter carriers? What are they waiting for?

Today at the Table

Today we met with the employer and discussed Group 1 (internal) staffing and Appendix “P”, health and safety training (Appendix “DD”) and access to information.

We discussed access to information as a follow-up to Saturday’s meeting. There is still much work to do on this complex issue and we will continue to work on it.  

We also received little new information on Appendix “P” and internal staffing. CPC is still not addressing our concerns about the injury rate and their demand to reduce health and safety training.

Keep Up the Pressure

We are noticing an increase in work floor activities and this is great to see. Canada Post knows we are determined, strong and committed to achieve negotiated collective agreements. Your negotiating committee is continuing to be firm at the table and we are pushing our demands. Every action or activity sends a message to Canada Post.

We Will Never Give Up and We Will Get the Agreements That We Deserve!

Sylvain Lapointe

Chief Negotiator, Urban Unit

George Floresco

Chief Negotiator, RSMC Unit

[kh-leslie]

Hi folks! Please remember to keep the boards friendly and welcoming for everyone, further hostility may result in this thread being closed.

[dinomitesales]

Jeez, from reading these CUPW updates it makes it seem like CPC is literally doing absolutely nothing during the negotiations, and just rejecting everything outright.

Obviously, based on the source, their goal is to paint CPC in a bad light, but I wonder if CPC has agreed to *anything*, or countered with *anything* that CUPW has deemed acceptable. I doubt we'll ever find out from the CUPW side.

[lady.stark]

I agree with you. It seems CUPW just want what they are asking without any negotiation or any compromise. It's like "this is it, you have to accept it". A negotiation does not work that way.

[cumos55]

CUPW puts over many requests....  but does not put over any money.

How different would CUPW be if they were responsible with an input of money... .

CPC Has the money  and the plans to reorganize itself .......as CPC sees fit.

[cumos55]

Why Equity Is Important To Urban Workers

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Thursday July 28 2016

2015-2019/159

No 57

The attack on Urban workers is directly related to the inequities that RSMC members face. The only way to stop these attacks is to achieve full equity for RSMCs. CPC’s initial position was to attack the following Urban benefits and working conditions. All of these are benefits that the RSMCs do not have:

• Weekend overtime for letter carriers – use temporary employees for all weekend work.
• Paid lunch and wash-up time – eliminate for all employees.
• Annual leave entitlements – eliminate the 7th week for all employees.
• Pre-retirement leave – eliminate for all employees.
• Job security.
• Contracting out – close all retail outlets staffed by our members.
• Increasing post-retirement benefit premiums.

Can You Connect The Dots?

Can you spot the similarities between the list of cutbacks that CPC initially presented (above) and the list of benefits that RSMCs don’t have (below)? There are many differences in the wages, benefits and working conditions between the RSMCs and letter carriers and yet the work is fundamentally the same. We all process and deliver mail. Some of these differences are:

1. An hourly rate of pay and pay for all hours worked, including overtime.
2. Paid breaks and meal period.
3. The same annual leave (vacation) entitlements – RSMCs are currently capped at 4 weeks, which takes10 years of continuous service to get.
4. Post-retirement health and dental benefits – RSMCs have no post-retirement medical or dental benefits.
5. Pre-retirement leave – RSMCs do not have this leave.
6. Coverage for all absences – Many RSMCs still have to find and train their own replacements.
7. Job security – RSMCs do not have job security.
8. Protection against contracting out – CPC still uses contractors to do RSMC work.
9. Corporate vehicles – The majority of RSMCs must provide their own vehicles and have access to a spare vehicle in case of a breakdown.
10. A proper route measurement system and routes that are structured to maximize full time.
11. Straight-time hours pensionable – Currently, RSMCs do not get pensionable service for all straight-time hours worked.
12. Uniforms – RSMCs should get the same uniform entitlement as letter carriers.
13. Injury on Duty pay – RSMCs who are injured on duty do not continue to be paid by CPC. They must wait for a decision from the Workers’ Compensation Board, which can take months, until they receive any compensation.
14. Seniority – RSMCs should have full seniority that recognizes all of their service with Canada Post.

Not On the Backs of Urban Members

This round is not about giving up Urban benefits to improve the RSMC collective agreement. It is about getting the RSMCs the same working conditions as Urban members and making working conditions for the Urban unit better.

This Round is About Equity and Moving Ahead!

Sylvain Lapointe

Chief Negotiator, Urban Unit

George Floresco

Chief Negotiator, RSMC Unit

[cumos55]

Rally for pensions, pay equity and sustainable public services

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Friday July 29 2016

Media Advisory 

MONTRÉAL - Canada Post is not taking key negotiations issues seriously. CUPW is calling on the Liberal government to use its considerable influence to ensure, as its shareholder, that Canada Post is onside with the federal government’s objectives to improve pensions, pay equity and the public postal service.

Who: Canadian Union of Postal Workers and friends

What: Rally for pensions, pay equity and sustainable public services

When: Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 1pm EST

Where: Montreal at the Prime Minister’s constituency office

There will be a march from Parc Saint-Alphonse (corner of Émile-Journault Ave and Chateaubriand Ave.) to Justin Trudeau’s office at 529 Jarry Street East, Suite 302

Buses will depart from Ottawa and Quebec (details to follow)

Why: Instead of negotiating with postal workers and using their experience to improve the post office, Canada Post is dragging its heels and sticking to their Conservative-era agenda. It’s time to ask the Prime Minister to tell Canada Post to start negotiating now.