Throughout the summer members of CEIU Local 20961 are holding payday actions. They plan to continue until a collective agreement is reached.

On August 21, just before the Canada Post bargaining team returned to the table, members of UPCE Local 20101 working at the Main Post Office in Vancouver held a Day of Action barbecue - the day started out with cloudy skies but the blue sky and sun arrived at nooon. Members passed out “Stamp Out Deregulaton” leaflets to the public while members from CUPW, APOC and CUPE all showed their support.

On August 22 a small but spirited group of PSAC Young workers and their supporters came out to Trout Lake Park for some fun and barbeque.

Scroll down or click ‘continue reading’ for more, click on the thumbnails for a larger version, and click the photos to advance the slideshow.

Cheers to Colbey Peters, VP CEIU Local 20961, Bargaining Committee Chair for this report …

Attached are some photos of two payday “actions” we have held in the in the past month. We are planning to continue holding “actions” every payday until we have a fair and equitable contract - however long that may take.

Our first effort on July 23 was to “decorate” our work stations with black balloons - to represent our displeasure at the insulting Pay package the employer presented. Our second August 6 was to post mini “picket signs” at our stations with the total day count since our contract expired.

We will continue to send you pictures of our efforts and we continue to support you in your efforts to obtain a liveable settlement for all our members. Keep up the great work!

The offer of settlement addresses the key priorities identified by you. They include:

• Monetary proposals to ensure a fair general wage increase
• Improvements in the Cost of Living Clause
• Improvements to the bilingual bonus, travel and meal allowances
• Improvements in medical benefit entitlements - Article 37
• Bargaining Unit Protection – Article 7
• Workload management improvements for those who work in Contact Centres – new language on Preparatory and Wrap Up time
• Pay and benefit entitlements for actual time worked – Article 4 for part-time workers and article 26.08 for all employees who work overtime
• Improvements in grievance language in Article 19
• Stronger anti-harassment language in Article 14
• Adequate funding for child care centres
• Family Related Leave Improvements in a variety of clauses in Article 42
• Protections against unreasonable measurement and surveillance of individual employees – new language
• Improvements in Appendix M dealing with the access to and provision of training for members who have received formal surplus notice

Your team is not prepared to negotiate any concessions and is interested in moving forward towards the goal of workplace fairness. Your team cannot achieve these goals without your help - support your bargaining team actively over the coming weeks! Canada Post is expected to respond to the union’s offer of settlement on Monday, August 25.

Your Bargaining team in front of the wall of member support — left to right: Seth Sazant, Andrew Baranowski, Erna Post, Richard des Lauriers, Hélène Arbique, René Fredeen and Larissa MacFadden.

It is clear that Canada Post is not interested in seriously discussing the issues that matter to members. Without a doubt, Canada Post needs to change its approach if it wants to achieve a fair collective agreement that builds true workplace respect by contract expiry. Our contract will expire at the end of the month and, in addition to bargaining a fair wage increase, much work remains to be done.

• Canada Post has agreed to clear anti-harassment language in agreements with other unionized workers. We deserve the same protections.
• Canada Post can realize significant time and cost savings by simplifying the grievance language in our collective agreement. This will make it easier for our members to resolve workplace problems as close as possible to the time an incident occurs in the workplace. Unquestionably, Canada Post can agree to this.
• Other unionized workers have recently made gains in their benefits package with Canada Post. We work for the same employer and we deserve access to the same benefit options.
• While some protections of our work and our jobs are provided for under our current collective agreement, Canada Post has agreed to stronger protections for other workers in its employ. If a work activity is important, it should be recognized by Canada Post as being important and have paid, dedicated workers assigned to it.
• Canada Post has agreed to clear workload-management processes for certain groups of unionized workers. If Canada Post has concluded that manageable workloads are in the interests of other workers, then surely the same calculations apply to PSAC members.
• Other unionized workers at Canada Post have won protections against unreasonable measurement and surveillance of individual employees. We deserve the same consideration.
• Our contract with Canada Post calls for initiatives that ensure that we have a voice and meaningful input into on-going change at Canada Post (Appendix M) and that child care opportunities available to employees both be protected and expanded (Appendix H). It is critical that the funding for these important programs not only be protected under our contract, but expanded.
• Many of the union’s proposals tabled with Canada Post are designed to help members alleviate the pressures of balancing work and family care. Helping members find this balance should be as much a priority for Canada Post as it is for the members.

Your bargaining team remains committed to achieving a contract that respects the work that we do and that protects the services we deliver. Your team cannot achieve these goals without your help - support your bargaining team actively over the coming weeks!

What does this mean for the membership?

• Your bargaining team will continue to bargain in good faith
• Your bargaining team will ensure that your issues receive a fair hearing and the respect that they deserve

Note that the bargaining dates that were previously established by both parties will be adhered to. While your bargaining team is very displeased with the employer’s tactics, remember: Together we can make a difference.

PSAC/UPCE at Canada Post | Stronger Together

At the same time that members face workplace change, they are also coping with increased family demands brought about by cuts to education and to social and health services. Both younger and older UPCE members feel caught between the competing priorities of work and home. Recent research has shown that these ever increasing demands are pushing up stress levels and prompting the increased use of leave and more unplanned absences.

The result is that more and more employees — regardless of their length of service — need to take time off to care for parents and children. Our current agreement is not consistent with respect to these leave provisions. A minimum of two weeks leave without pay to care for pre-school age children is provided for. The minimums are higher for the care of older children but they are subject to operational requirements. Leave for elder care is similarly subject to operational requirements. Our contract should be consistent and provide us with the time that we need in order to care for our children and our parents. To begin to address this inconsistency, the bargaining team has tabled the following language with Canada Post:

42.14 Leave Without Pay for Long-Term Elder Care and the Care and Nurturing of Children

(b) Subject to operational requirements At the request of an employee, leave without pay of one (1) or more periods of at least four (4) two (2) weeks’ duration to a total maximum of five (5) years during an employee’s total period of employment in the Canada Post Corporation, shall be provided for the care and nurturing of children between the ages of five (5) and thirteen (13). If an employee on such leave wishes to maintain contributor status, the employee must pay both the Corporation’s and the employee’s share of pension and benefits plans.

(c) Subject to operational requirements At the request of an employee leave without pay of one (1) or more periods of at least four (4) two (2) weeks’ duration to a total maximum of five (5) years during an employee’s total period of employment In the Canada Post Corporation, shall be provided for the long-term personal care of the employee’s parents, including spouse’s parents or foster parents. If the employee on such leave wishes to maintain contributor status, the employee must pay both the Corporation’s and the employee’s share of pension and benefits plans.

In Canada today, there are well over 2 million children under the age of six. Two-thirds of these children have a mother who works. Finding quality, affordable childcare that is close to home or work is an onerous task for many and long waiting lists and higher costs continue to be the norm.

Appendix H of the collective agreement deals with childcare funding provisions for UPCE members. Over the years, your union has worked closely with CUPW on a number of child care resources. These include access to 11 community-based projects located across the country that provide UPCE members with priority access to high quality child care services. In 2002, an additional $250,000 was added to the fund for the union’s new childcare project in Fredericton, NB.

This new centre, which will be completed this fall, is a short distance from the Contact Centre and will continue to provide key services such as extended hours, before and after school care and transportation to school.

In Fredericton, Winnipeg and other centres across the country, UPCE members know that while they are at work, they will have access to quality childcare when they need it.

Your bargaining team will be placing financial proposals before Canada Post to ensure that our childcare projects will continue to receive adequate levels of funding for the life of the new collective agreement.

Many of the union’s proposals tabled with Canada Post are designed to help members alleviate the pressures of balancing work and family care.

Helping members find this balance should be as much a priority for Canada Post as it is for the members.

Canada Post would have PSAC members believe that our health and insurance benefits under Article 37 of the collective agreement make the employer uncompetitive compared to other companies that do the same work.

Is this true? Not really.

Canada Post’s current benefit costs are similar to the payroll costs of other large employers. The company will realize significant tax savings once changes to the Alberta provincial health plan come into effect in 2009. PSAC/UPCE’s membership represents approximately 4 per cent of Canada Post’s total payroll. This means that the total benefit plan costs of PSAC/UPCE members are not as critical in affecting the company’s bottom line.

However, premium costs in Canada have been climbing upwards at a disturbing rate. On average, they are going up from 10 to 15 per cent annually with no end to the increases in sight. This trend, if it continues will have a direct impact on the sustainability of Canada Post’s health plan benefits.

These increases often go to third parties such as insurance or pharmaceutical companies – money that could be better used to improve alternative health care options for member benefits such as drug cards.

Your bargaining team has begun discussions with Canada Post on these complex benefit issues and they will be guided by the following principles:

1. We will respect, recognize and support the diversity of all member benefit needs. The legitimate needs of one group of members will not be traded off to meet the needs of another group. For example:
   • younger members with dependants who require support for the purchase of dental braces, asthma or allergy medications;
   • members who require ongoing support for medical conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis or depression; and
   • members or their dependents who require vision care such as prescription glasses or contact lenses.
2. We will maintain the current prescription drug entitlements for members.
3. We will ensure that the plan remains viable and sustainable.
4. We will work hard to make sure the health and benefit plan is even more accessible and easy to use.
5. We will work to improve dental care and vision care entitlements.
6. We will ensure that Canada Post provides better education and communications to support to our members when they access the plan.

The average age of a PSAC member working for Canada Post is 47. At either end of the age continuum there are specific medical and benefit needs that are quite different, but can be supported through a holistic plan.

The bargaining team is committed to negotiating an effective, sustainable plan that works for the people who work for Canada Post, today and in the future.

Most of the unions’ proposals with the exception of monetary items have been discussed at least once during this week of bargaining. Some priority items such as leave entitlements, bargaining unit work, hours of work, contact centre proposals and staffing have been discussed several times to date.

Canada Post tabled an initial proposal on dental health and vision care. Because PSAC/UPCE and Canada Post will not be discussing monetary items until the next set of bargaining dates in August, these proposals are not complete and will remain confidential until all of the appropriate information has been received and bargained between the parties.

Canada Post also tabled proposals that would fundamentally alter the current bidding and scheduling practices for contact centre workers. These concessionary proposals were immediately rejected by your bargaining team.

Canada Post rejected the union’s proposal on bargaining unit work (article 7). It appears that the corporation is content with the status quo. At this time they are not prepared to agree to any changes that would prevent the corporation from contracting out or considering alternative service delivery options.

Your bargaining team was not at all surprised by this response and remains confident and committed to fighting for our jobs. This bargaining team is not prepared to negotiate any concessions and will continue to stand up for workplace fairness and ensure that our members’ workplace rights and entitlements are protected.

The agenda for the next round of negotiations will include further discussions on leave provisions, bargaining unit work, benefits, child care and all other monetary items.

Canada Post has shown no significant movement on any of the unions’ proposals this week. This will have to change if a new collective agreement is to be agreed upon before the end of August.

Our next bargaining sessions in August will have a critical impact on your future workplace conditions. Show your support for your bargaining team and for our demands - together we can win a fairer workplace.

Next scheduled bargaining dates are August 20-22 and August 25-29. Contract expires August 31.

PSAC/UPCE at Canada Post - Stronger Together

In 2006, Human Resource Management (HRM) and Production and Control Reporting (PCR) were reorganized and new reporting systems were introduced. Canada Post’s expectations increased, workloads increased and yet fewer people were left to do more complicated work. For example, in 2002, 50 jobs were created in Montreal to handle increased workloads and now only 17 people remain in those positions. The workload has not decreased.

Members are now finding that they have to monitor and correct work that is being done outside of the bargaining unit. This work used to be part of their job.

While PSAC recognizes that there may be some situations that call for term or casual staffing, the union is concerned about the increasing use of these strategies instead of simply staffing positions on a permanent basis.

Volunteerism doesn’t help. Because of increased workloads, members volunteer their own time. They work extra hours during the week or come in on weekends to help out. There is no formal record of this work and it signals to Canada Post that no new workers are needed because the work still gets done. If a work activity is important, it should be recognized as being important and have paid dedicated workers attached to it.

Canada Post workers have demonstrated over and over again that they are experts in the work that they do on behalf of the public and their employer. To protect our members’ work, PSAC seeks to ensure that our work is not assigned to persons outside of the bargaining unit. The collective agreement language proposed is as follows:

7.01 Work in the Bargaining Unit

(a) Work normally and regularly done performed by an employee in the bargaining unit of the PSAC shall not be performed on a regular basis by another Corporate employee outside the bargaining unit unless that work also forms a bona fide part of the duties of that employee. Similarly, unless otherwise specified in the Agreement, an employee in the bargaining unit will not be required to perform work outside of the bargaining unit.

(b) The Corporation will not contract out work performed by employees in the bargaining unit.

While some protections are provided under our current collective agreement, Canada Post has agreed to stronger protections for other workers under its employ. PSAC members at Canada Post deserve nothing less.

Remember, there are more constructive ways to deal with increased workloads at Canada Post. Moving bargaining unit work outside UPCE/PSAC isn’t inevitable. Supporting this bargaining demand is a good first step.