At a special Vancouver Local Executive Committee (LEC) meeting held on October 23, 2012 a motion was passed by a 11 to 1 vote recommending “No” to the Urban Tentative Agreement (please see below for the complete motion).
As you may be aware the CUPW National Executive Board (NEB) has recommended that members vote in favour of the tentative settlement.
The LEC did not come by their decision lightly. There will be more information provided regarding the rationale for this decision over the coming weeks leading up to the Vancouver Local’s ratification votes which are scheduled for the last week of November.
The committee met, via teleconference, with seven members of the NEB/Negotiating Committee prior to debating and deciding this issue. The National CUPW position has been stated as one of “damage control”, and that it would be better to accept this Tentative Agreement than run the risk of something worse being imposed by an arbitrator by way of Final Offer Selection (FOS). Several of the National representatives who spoke at our meeting were emphatic that this would be the case if the membership rejects this agreement. None of these representatives have said that this is a good agreement.
This ratification vote is centered upon one primary issue; consequence. If we vote “no”, Canada Post may put a final offer to the arbitrator that contains even more rollbacks. The flip side to this is if we vote “yes”, will we ever again see what we gave up and how much will they come for next time?
The LEC is taking the position that our membership both through contract demand ratification votes and a historic 94.5% strike vote has taken the position to not willingly accept the significant rollbacks and concessions that are contained in this Tentative Agreement. It may well come to pass that negative consequences may flow if this agreement is not ratified. The LEC wants the membership of the Vancouver Local to make an informed choice and understand that a “no” vote must come with a willingness to fight-back and with the conviction that we are worthy of the rights and entitlements that we have obtained throughout decades of collective bargaining.
Our right to strike was removed by the conservative government when it enacted Bill C-6 in June 2011. When we first formed as a union to be reckoned with in the mid-sixties we had no right to strike – we obtained it, by striking. The Canadian Union of Postal Worker’s has had a long proud history of fighting and winning through our collective strength. Because the current political climate in Canada is challenging the rights of working people does not mean this is the time to give up our fight. Our union is front and centre in this fight and we alone will decide how we choose to conduct that fight.
“A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.” – Mahatma Gandhi
M/S/C/
Whereas the draft Tentative Agreement contains significant rollbacks and concessions of gains that were achieved throughout years of collective bargaining; and
Whereas the Vancouver Local Executive Committee feels that the members best interests would be served by continuing to fight to maintain the rights and entitlements that we have achieved over the years; and
Whereas we should continue to fight for the reasonable program of demands which the membership endorsed; and
Whereas the membership of CUPW registered a historical vote in support of a strike to assert their demands;
Be it resolved that;
The Vancouver Local Executive Committee recommends that the members of the Vancouver Local vote no to the Urban Tentative Agreement being put to them at the ratification votes being held in November and December 2012.
Be it further resolved that; (amendment M/S/C)
The Executive Committee will make every effort to communicate the potential consequences of either a yes or a no vote to the membership prior to the ratification vote.