Friday September 27 2024
2023-2027/136
No. 29 – REVISED
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.”
Wages: The Employer’s wage offer of 3.5% in Year 1 is less than what we earned in our COLA payments. 10% over 4 years is not a wage offer. It is not enough.
Pension: Our pension plan has a $7.6 billion surplus. Yet, the Employer wants to put future employees on a defined contribution pension plan. This is a direct attack on all members’ retirement security.
Hourly Rate of Pay for RSMCs: The Employer’s proposal does not address any of the Union’s concerns about time values, the exception process, automated volume counts, or the validation process.
Job Security: The Employer rejected our proposal to extend Urban job security entitlements to the RSMC Unit – because the Employer’s work content proposals threaten to cut routes.
Leaves: Far from “improving” leave entitlements, the Employer wants to cut them. The Employer wants future employees to have less vacation leave than current employees. CPC also wants to eliminate superimposed vacation leave and add a Christmas “blackout” period to the Group 2 and RSMC vacation schedules.
The only leaves CPC proposed adding to the collective agreements are leaves we are entitled to under the Canada Labour Code. There is no additional cost to CPC.
Benefits: Canada Post wants to force future employees into “flexible” benefits plans. Unlike our current group benefits plans, these are individual insurance plans that shift risks from the Employer to the worker. Flex plans push the highest costs onto those most in need of care. On top of this, future employees would have to work 1,000 hours as regular employees before they could access the benefits and pension plans.
Group 2 Staffing and Work Rules: Canada Post wants to completely overhaul letter carrier work. CPC wants to be able to schedule carriers 5 days on a 7-day calendar, schedule variable work hours each day, change routes every day, add part-time flex positions, cut full-time relief positions, remove bar charts, and stop the Union from having any real say over changes to the LCRMS and MSCWSS.
More to Come
This is not a full list of the Employer’s proposed rollbacks. As the Negotiators continue to review and analyze the Employer’s offers, we will provide more information to members.
Support Your Negotiators: Make Some Noise!
Now more than ever, the Negotiators need every member’s full support. In every local and on every workfloor, let’s all make some noise!
Let Canada Post hear us loud and clear: No rollbacks!
No concessions!
In Solidarity,
Lana Smidt
Lead Negotiator, Urban Operations Unit
François Senneville
Lead Negotiator, RSMC Unit