RSMC Bargaining Update: Hourly Rate System
Wednesday September 11 2024
2023-2027/127
No. 24
As part of the 2021 contract renewal, CUPW and CPC agreed to transition RSMCs to an hourly rate of pay system dependent on a new way to assess workload and work content. Any issues outstanding were to be dealt with during this round of negotiations.
This new work system includes time values. This means incorporating some of the LCRMS values, using some existing RSMC values, and building some new values specific to RSMC work. Talks are also focusing on issues like the building of routes, guaranteed hours, an “exception process” and staffing.
Time Values
There has been much work done on developing and negotiating appropriate time values. But the Employer is refusing to budge on some key values and issues. For example, CPC wants to remove time from the “stop time” at RMBs. This alone would take 65% of the RMB stop time out of the system — more than 100,000 daily minutes. This is a huge loss that we cannot accept.
Exception Process
We are also far apart on what we call the “Exception Process.”
This is the process that is supposed to address workload problems in between restructures. Under CPC’s proposal, the Employer would have the power to start the process alone. The Employer could then remove time from any route and move points of call to another route. Again, we cannot accept this.
More To Come
Ensuring RSMCs are paid an hourly rate for every hour they work has long been a Union priority. It is central to our goal of gaining equality between the Urban and RSMC Units.
We will provide more updates in the coming weeks.
To get updates on Negotiations and other Union news directly to your inbox, sign up for eDigest, at: https://www.cupw.ca/en/cupw-edigest .
In Solidarity!
François Senneville
Lead Negotiator, RSMC Unit