CANADIAN UNION OF POSTAL WORKERS

What’s Not Being Said About The Proposed Contract

By now many of you will have read the myriad of bulletins from the National Union and received the robocall from CUPW National President, Denis Lemelin, trying to convince you to vote for the proposed contract.

This is a critical time in our history as postal workers. Despite the fear mongering about what “might” happen if we turn this down, let’s examine the facts about what we’re being asked to accept.

In 1968, when we first negotiated paid sick time into our contract we gave up wage increases for this. Had we not done so we could arguably be making $35 per hour or more by this time. Instead we’re being asked to accept a onetime payment of $200 in exchange for all of that.

We’re being asked to agree to a short term disability (STD) plan controlled by an insurance company in lieu of sick time. As it’s written, this insurance company will have absolute jurisdiction to determine your physical condition and ability to work. Further, if you agree to this contract, you are agreeing to give the insurance company the right and authority to overrule your Doctor’s diagnosis and treatment and substitute their own. In effect, you will no longer be an autonomous individual with the right to determine your own fate, you will be the property of Canada Post. If you choose to follow your Doctor instead of the insurance company, not only will you be ineligible for short term disability benefits, you will also be in “non-compliance” and subject to discipline up to and including your discharge. Finally, all of this is NOT allowed to be grieved under this proposed contract. That’s insulting!!

Also, you will have to be off 7 consecutive days WITHOUT PAY before you can even start collecting your 70% STD. Does all this unpaid time and STD time need to be made up as pensionable time before you can retire?

You will need to use ALL your “urgent” AND “preapproved” personal days prior to claiming STD. If the boss chooses to deny your personal days due to “operational requirements” they could further prolong your time off without pay or break up your 7 days requiring you to start all over again.

This is just a small sample of the ridiculous and unjust changes you’re being asked to voluntarily accept.

You may ask, what’s the alternative? The alternative is to continue the fight as we have successfully done for the last year and a half. Since the indecent back to work legislation, CUPW has successfully fought off the right wing corporate interests of Stephen Harper and the greedy interests of the boss. All attempts by the Conservative government to impose a biased arbitrator in the “winner take all” process have failed in the courts. We MUST continue that process, and if an impartial arbitrator is finally appointed prior to the expiration of back to work legislation, we present a fair and balanced proposal giving them a reasonable alternative in lieu of the blank cheque Canada Post wants.

Don’t believe the nonsence about financial difficulties at the post office. Canada Post is coming off 15 years of record profits. The current financial losses they’re claiming is through their own actions!! They locked us out in 2011 when we were willing to keep the mail flowing. They lost the pay equity court battle with PSAC. They took out a $2 billion dollar line of credit to streamline operations and cut CUPW jobs. Then, on top of all that, the boss has the temerity to give themselves bonuses, all the while expecting us to pay for it through concessions. That’s insulting!!

According to Canada Post’s Director of Communications, parcel volumes are soaring. The number of parcels shipped by Canada Post’s largest customers grew by 20% between 2010 and 2011. The current market value of the e-commerce parcel business is $8 billion dollars and is expected to grow to more than $15 billion by 2016.

The time to fight is NOW!! Some speak of regrouping to fight another day. If we again wait to fight another day and accept another concessionary contract we will continue sliding down the slippery slope to WalMart working conditions with nothing left to defend.

It is the unanimous recommendation of the Hamilton Local Executive to vote NO!!

Personally, I would rather stand and fight for a just and deserving cause in demanding the dignity and respect we’ve earned rather than crawl on my knees for scraps from the bosses table!!

The ratification vote is December 3rd at the Sheraton Hamilton, 116 King St. West with meetings at 9am, 1pm and 7pm.

In Solidarity,

Terry Langley, 1st Vice President

Canadian Union of Postal Workers

Hamilton Local 548