CUPW kicks off PorchLights for Posties Campaign

Postal Workers in Edmonton will be taking to the streets on November 25th to kick off a door to door Campaign Porchlights for Posties . “It is time to raise community awareness of the problems facing Postal Workers and our customers.” said CUPW Local President Bev Ray.” Ray also stated that an example of this is 92 letters carriers on Tuesday across the city being forced to work on uncovered letter carrier routes as well as Rural & Suburban (RSMC) routes not even being delivered, which resulted in over 7,000 homes in Edmonton not receiving mail.

Edmontonians have noticed recently that their mail is now arriving much later than previously. Some residents have reported receiving their mail as late as 8:00 p.m. or later. Many small businesses, schools and banks are reporting receiving their mail after business hours, negatively impacting their business. This deterioration of service is the result of changes made by Canada Post to its delivery method. It is part of the Crown Corporation’s move to further mechanize postal operations.

Canada Post has been a profitable crown corporation for the past 15 years, paying hundreds of millions of dollars in dividends to the Federal Government and hundreds of millions more in taxes over that period. We believe that Canadians deserve to see these profits translate into improved services and expansion by providing new services.

Canada Post used to ensure that there were sufficient letter carriers to cover all letter carrier routes. Now they have reduced staffing to a minimum resulting in letter carriers delivering as much as 4 – 6 hours in the dark. Many letter carriers have family responsibilities ( i.e. grandparents, parents with young children, caring for aging parents, etc.,) and are forced to work for as many as 15 hours in a day or face discipline up to and including losing their job if they refuse.

Postal Workers have tried reasoning with Canada Post over the unsafe delivery method, late night delivery and deterioration of service, to no avail. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has proposed reasonable alternatives and ways to expand postal services for Canadians that make economic sense. Canada Post chooses instead to reduce services to Canadians. This has included closing rural and small post offices, cutting hours of customer counters, not providing sufficient letter carrier staffing to cover all routes, changing starting times for letter carriers, and removing street letter boxes. Where will it end?

How can we help each other? Please take the time to call your MP or call Canada Post toll free at 1-866-267-1177

You can contact Bev Ray, President-Canadian Union of Postal Workers, through our website union@cupwedm.net or call 780-423-9000 for more information.

Canada Post Rams Through the Postal Transformation Plan at EMPP

On Thursday November 4th, local union representatives were involved in the National Consultation on Postal Transformation. The presentation provided by CPC outlined all the planned changes for the EMPP in Edmonton.
CUPW is outraged at the lack of consultation and information provided in advance and the ability to schedule local consultations to ensure that the member’s rights are protected. The following is a brief summary of what the plans for November & December are:

• Ads & Pubs to move to off-site location (effective December, 2010) which will require changes to 5 ton shuttles.

• Install exterior fence in parking lot (this will remove over 100 employee parking stalls and reduce 5 ton and trailer parking)

• Relocate Employee Entrance (involves Asbestos removal)

• Relocate Priority courier conveyor belt (this will include combining DCF finals for parcel sort, premium sort to smaller offices. Reported that only 1 bag sent will be to smaller offices)

• Relocate PDSL Keying & Staging

• Move current RVU Staging & Scale and office, MT Equip.

• Demolish existing mezzanine/office & Employee entrance

• Move RVU staging next to “new” RVU office by the high dock

• Begin Demolition of NE Corner of the Building (involves Asbestos removal)

Changes will not end there but continue right through until September 2012. The changes will include moving sections and equipment in the plant every 2-3 months, VES installed where the current exercise room is, moving Depot 4 and 8 City Finals back to Whitemud South, new MLOCR’s installed, removal of old machines & equipment deletion of some current sections (ie: Priority Courier).

We will be providing a more detailed slide presentation at the local GMM Sunday November 7th, 2010. This meeting will be @ 6:00 pm at the Lion’s Senior’s Centre located at 11113 – 111 Avenue.

CPC MAINTAINS THAT ALL OF THE CHANGES DO NOT CONSITUTE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE NOTICE (29.03(b)).

THE UNION DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS POSITION AND HAS DEMANDED LOCAL CONSULTATIONS BE SCHEDULED IMMEDIATELY!



In solidarity,

Bev Ray

Why Postal Workers Should Defend a Public Postal Service

The right to earn a fair wage is under attack and Canada Post has decided to lead the Attack. In Canada the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has had a long tradition to improve the living wages of labour workers and benefits that all Canadians have benefited from.


If it was not for Postal Workers fighting for Maternity Benefits no Woman in Canada would now have the ability to have paid leave while they were pregnant and stay at home to care for their newborn children.

It it was not for the Postal Workers fighting for the right to work an 8 hour day, national, provincial and municipal standards would not protect workers rights to an 8 hour work day.

Today Canada Post wants to make workers and the public believe that there needs to be fundamental changes that would see a dramatic backslide in workers rights to earn a “living wage.”

• Do you want to give up your seniority rights?

• Do you want to have the pre-retirement benefits removed?

• Do you want to have changes that allow Canada Post to have others do your work?

• Do you want to have your Sick Leave Benefits disappear?

• Do you want to have to deliver 100% of householders in 1 day?

• Do you want to be forced to deliver mail using your own vehicle?

• Do you want to earn a lower wage for doing the same work because you are a new employee?

• Do you want CPC to not have to pay you when you get injured at work?

• Do you want to not get paid for overtime worked?



Canada Post has forgotten that they are still a Crown Corporation and fall under federal legislation. There are services that all Canadians should be secure in knowing that their elected government will protect and provide. A PUBLIC POSTAL SERVICE IS ONE OF THOSE SERVICES!

2011 Negotiations are well under way and it is necessary for CUPW members to defend our Program of Demands.

Bev Ray

PRESIDENT Edmonton CUPW

  



NEGOTIATIONS 2011 – IT IS ON!

Canada Post Corporation shows their “LEMON” Proposal for Negotiations!

It is evident after reading the CPC agenda for negotiations that their interest lies solely in increasing profit by attacking Pensions, Sick Leave, Vacation and removing language from the collective agreement that protects CUPW members.

Some of the highlights of what they have put on the table include:

• Defined contribution pension plan

• Short term disability program

• Elimination of 7th week of vacation for current employees with less than 28 years service

• Revise criteria for Night worker recovery leave.

• More flexibility in sizes & delivery spans for Householders

• Changes to of staffing for retail, Group 1 and Group 2

• Increase use of private vehicles

• Retain seniority rights for employees “Acting Supervisor” for 6 months

• Revised job security

• Changes to have work done by both Group 1 and Group 2 employees and other bargaining units.

This is not a complete list of their agenda. Copies of the CPC proposal are available at the Union Office and will also be made available on the union website. The Strength of our Union has had a long history of taking on CPC to fight for our rights as workers! THE TIME IS NOW TO SHOW CPC THAT CUPW members WILL NOT BACK DOWN !!!!! GET INVOLVED!!!!!!

Bev Ray

President October 22, 2010