CUPW Vancouver

Work Floor Captain Training

Friday, October 20^th

Held at: CUPW Vancouver Local Office

#109 – 4238 Lozells Avenue, Burnaby 8am to 4pm

CUPW is only as strong as our work floors are organized, unified around a plan, and willing to mobilize. Union leadership will never have the power to defeat the boss and government on their own. Without mass buy-in from our members to strengthen CUPW from the work floor up, our jobs as postal workers will keep deteriorating.

The corporation is positioned to use Amazon and the pandemic as excuses to cut us down in bargaining in 2023. We must be ready, but our capacity to fight forward will only be proportional to how many of us are committed to building the solidarity of our union, in whatever way we can.

The Building Worker Power campaign is the first time since 1988 that CUPW has committed to a National plan to build up the internal capacity of our members to confront the employer directly on the work floor. For this campaign to succeed we will need hundreds of members to volunteer as work floor captains to be trained to help their co-workers collectively assert their rights.

Regional Organizers have been trained to assist Locals in running a one-day course designed specifically for this campaign to give members willing to take a stand all the tools they’ll need to effectively organize their own work floor, such as:

read more here

Every year, the Corporation asks CUPW members to participate in an employee engagement survey. While seemingly well intentioned on the surface, these surveys are designed not only to pit members against one another for prizes, but also to gauge the temperature of the work floor in advance of negotiations. The CUPW Vancouver local is advising ALL members NOT TO PARTICIPATE.

But what if I participate to leave a negative review?

While we would all like the opportunity to tell the Corporation what we really think, their metrics are based on participation levels. Also, in years past, they have received negative reviews and promised change – change that has never materialized.

What about the prizes?   

Nothing more than trinkets and tax write offs to the Corporation. These draws are meant to stoke competition amongst colleagues and divide our work floors. If all employees in a cell or section participate, they get an extra ticket for a draw. This puts pressure on those who do not feel like participating not to let others down. This is no different than draws of the past where the Corporation tries to incentivize not calling in sick, only this time, they are incentivising a divide. Anything that divides us weakens us at a time where we need to build our strength and solidarity.

Do not forget this is the same Corporation that has taken from its workers all year long and now wants to paint a rosy picture. The plant has lost day shift jobs, letter carriers are being forced into Separate Sort from Delivery, and Groups 3 and 4 were completely ignored in this survey. We as a Union cannot stand for divisiveness on our work floors.

How do I let my employer know that I am dissatisfied?

You can always invoke your right to complain under Article 9.07. but if you really want to make a statement, please come to ratify our package of demands this October. Wear a Union button on our work floors. Make your opinions on voting YES to strike known. You don’t have to remain quiet, but you don’t have to play the Corporation’s game by their rules in order to express your discontent. The best way to send a clear message is to send a message of silence. We want meaningful negotiations, livable wages and decent work conditions – not draws for lamps and coolers.

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

Congratulations to Michael Seney, who won $2,335.00 in the CUPW Vancouver Local Wide 50/50!!!

Michael Seney with his winning ticket and $2,335!!!

A huge Thank-you to everyone who participated and donated. The final numbers are being crunched, but we definitely beat our expectations for ticket sales, and a donation to Seniors 411 will be announced shortly.

In Solidarity,

Kat Poch, Organizing Director