LC Start Times

CONSULTATION DOES NOT = AGREEMENT FROM THE UNION!


CHANGES TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR LETTER CARRIER START TIMES
On Tuesday October 27th, consultation was held with the Union at the employer’s request to change the start times for letter carriers in all depots within Edmonton Collection & Delivery. At this meeting Canada Post claimed the change to start times is necessitated by “LATE MAIL RECEIPTS WE TRADITIONALLY EXPERIENCE DURING WINTER MONTHS”. They went on to explain that this was due to weather, late freighters and delay in highway services trucks from Calgary.

ALL LETTER CARRIER START TIMES WILL BE MOVED BACK BY ½ HOUR! That means if you currently start at 7:30 a.m. you will now start at 8:00 a.m. This will be effective November 16th, 2009. The change WILL NOT be implemented at Depot 11. They have also now informed the union after consultation that they will be changing the Registration Clerk start times at Sherwood Park and Depot 6. All other Registration Clerk start times will remain status quo. This was not part of the original consultation and we will be demanding consultation on their change to the Registration Clerks start times.

THE UNION DISAGREES WITH THE CHANGE TO START TIMES!!!!!
We argued the following points:
- Letter Carriers will be out on the street later, and in winter months this means working in the dark; HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUE!
- Increase in FORCEBACK. Fewer letter carriers will volunteer to work in the dark!
- Increase in PM priorities for MLCs that is not included in their evaluated times for their routes (Special Allowance sheet). Make sure YOU document your number of daily PM priorities and request additional time be added to your special allowance sheet. If denied then file a grievance;
- Individuals with family responsibilities (ie: dependant children that have to pick up from school) are impacted by the change;
- Individuals with other responsibilities (other job, school, etc.,) will affect the letter carrier’s ability to maintain their outside commitments.
- Impact on business residential customers that are reliant on scheduled delivery time with no notice of change being provided;
*Note: The employer claims that they will consider not changing your start time on an individual case by case basis (Demonstrated need to keep start time because of family, school, and other work commitments). The bottom line is that the union sees this as Canada Post’s refusal to approve overtime as a result constant bag delays because of late arrivals of priorities to the depots.

IN SOLIDARITY BEV RAY, PRESIDENT October 29th, 2009