CUPW Supports UPCE

CUPW Supports UPCE

CUPW supports the UPCE workers who have been given a strong mandate in a strike vote which is now complete, with 88% of their membership voting in favour of a strike.

The Union of Postal and Communications Employees (UPCE) are a component of the 165,000 member Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

The UPCE negotiators are waiting for Canada Post to return to the bargaining table. Any strike action that is taken may affect CUPW Members if pickets go up at either of the Plants.

You will find updates to their negotiations posted here: www.psac.com

Robert R. Mulvin
President

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October 24, 2008

VMPP Shift Bid Debacle

VMPP Shift Bid Debacle

October 24, 2008

The time lines for Shift Bid at VMPP have been stalled due to a lack of communication, specifically on the part of Dave Nelson, Acting Superintendent, PC&R. It appears that the Managers responsible for operations at the VMPP were not all on the same page, or at least not the page from which Dave Nelson was reading.

What we are hearing this year is a reference to a “Neutral Head Count”. It sounds like a new corporate mantra, and one that doesn’t say anything but makes workers feel like they are only numbers.

The Corporation had previously committed to time lines which are now off the table as the Union waits to hear what the latest proposal will be from Management. Continue reading

October 21, 2008

MSC Restructure – Where do we go from here?

The MSC restructure and master bid is now completed and set to implement on October 19, 2008.

Our thanks go out to Tom Quan for his hard work as Union Observer and also to Reinholdt Dundas for his assistance during the restructure.

The end result was the creation of five full-time positions and a reduction of seven part-time positions. This result, while by no means exceptional, does represent a small overall gain – a welcome reversal to a negative trend in Group 2.

Management has informally told us that they intend to look at a complete restructure of the HVO schedules “some time in the new year”. Hints have also been made about “looking at changes to VPDC schedules”. There has been no proper notice or consultation on either.

Continue reading “MSC Restructure – Where do we go from here?”

October 20, 2008

Canada Post Delivers Suspensions

Canada Post Delivers Suspensions

On October 9, 2008, CUPW members were asked to wear a button that states “Your Public Post Office Delivers- For Now” to show opposition to postal deregulation and to create public awareness. In true Canada Post fashion, they met this request with its standard military style of management; issue 24 Hr notices of interview, issue emergency suspensions and threaten suspension to anyone who refuses to remove the button.

One of the suspended on CBC Radio One
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Canada Post is able to provide universal postal rates and service because of the profits that are generated from its exclusive privilege to deliver first class letters. Without that exclusive privilege, Canada’s universal postal service would to be compromised. Canada Post is a public post office, it serves all Canadians, and deregulation infringes on Canada Post’s exclusive privilege to collect, transmit and deliver national and international letters within Canada. What ever happened to an informed public? What ever happened to transparency? If Canada Post really wanted an informed public, why did they meet this campaign with such a heavy handed approach? Continue reading “Canada Post Delivers Suspensions”

October 16, 2008

Back to the future: Canada Post attempts to put a muzzle on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

On October 8, 2008, Canada Post issued a corporative directive to its supervisory staff (“team leaders”) regarding a button that was first distributed by CUPW without incident in 2005. The button, “Your public post office delivers… for now” was recently distributed as part of the ongoing campaign regarding the closed-door strategic review that was initiated in April 2008 by Steven Harper’s Conservative Government.

In that corporate directive, Canada Post’s team leaders were instructed to direct employees to remove the buttons under threat of suspension. Decades ago, Canada Post management defined itself by imposing such ultimatums. It would now appear that the Moya Greene’s Modern Post is reverting to a labour relations approach that belongs in the past.

Continue reading “Back to the future: Canada Post attempts to put a muzzle on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms”

October 10, 2008

Canada Elections Act and Time Off To Vote

Given that the Federal Election has been scheduled for October 14, 2008 and that it follows the long weekend, the Union is concerned that all employees are given time to exercise their right to vote.

The Canada Elections Act entitles an employee to three consecutive hours on polling day for the purpose of casting their ballots. If an employee’s hours of work do not allow him or her three consecutive hours to vote, the employer must allow him or her sufficient time off to allow three consecutive hours for that purpose.

Continue reading “Canada Elections Act and Time Off To Vote”

October 9, 2008

Button Removal

Freedom of Speech: don’t let Harper and Canada Post take this fundamental right away.

Union activists throughout the country have been asked to wear a button tomorrow that states “Your Public Post Office Delivers – For Now”. We want to point out the secret plans of the Harper Government to justify the deregulation of Canada Post and the deletion of the exclusive privilege to deliver first class mail currently held by Canada Post.

LINK: Take a stand on Postal deregulation – Wear a button

It is clear from the employer’s instructions that Canada Post management have been instructed to deny our legal rights of freedom of expression won in many arbitration awards.
Continue reading “Button Removal”