Happy New Year everyone!

 

We hope that this year brings you and your family peace,

health, and prosperity. There are still many challenges

ahead of us, but at this time we would like to thank the

membership for their dedication and support during the

last few months of 2018. During the labour disruption,

the turnouts to the picket lines and the passion and  

positive morale we saw was invigorating for all of us on

the executive, and indeed for all members in the Local.

It is clear to us that a strong united message was sent

to Canada Post.

 

Of course the thing on most people’s minds is the status

of the contract negotiations/arbitration. Unfortunately at this point it is still early in the process and there are few details. On December 10, Elizabeth MacPherson was appointed to be the mediator-arbitrator as per the back to work legislation. Currently, the mediation phase has ended with no agreement reached so the process has entered the arbitration phase. The first day of arbitration is scheduled for January 16.  The National Executive will continue to send out bulletins as information becomes available, and you can receive these bulletins directly if you are signed up for CUPW EDigest. We will also be planning more floor talks as information comes out and ask that you participate in floor actions designed to take back the work floor and remind management that we haven’t rolled over and given up.

 

January will see the beginning of a new era of equality in Canada Post. RSMCs will now be paid in line with members of the Urban Unit. Zone scales will be eliminated, and all RSMC members will have their Schedule A payments reflect a derived hourly rate of $26.60. Rural Members will now also be eligible for up to 7 weeks annual leave based on the same schedule as Urban, as well as other paid leave including Marriage Leave, Birth Leave, Court Leave, and Leave for Other Reasons. This is a huge win for our Rural members, and a big step towards full equality of all Canada Post employees.

 

One of our goals this year is to hold management to some standard procedures around staffing. We are finding time and time again, variations in how and when routes are staffed, overtime offered, and the handling of uncovered walks the next day. Different depots handle these different ways even within VicMPP along the imaginary wall separating GDC and G3! The resulting stress on our members, particularly relief / temp employees, is too much and it needs to stop.

 

As we move into 2019 the message we would like to leave  you with is “Don’t feel defeated”. We are fighting for fair and safe working conditions. There is reasonable hope that the arbitrator will decide in favour of the union on many of our demands. The Corporation and the Liberal government took the low road and manufactured a non-existent crisis in order to forward their back to work agenda. The public knows better. They have seen their parcels delivered to them within normal time standards. They are on our side.

 

Stay positive, stay focused, and stay strong!

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In Solidarity,

The Victoria Local Executive

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