The union needs to see real progress in the coming week if we are to have a new collective agreement by the January 31 deadline. Canada Post is going to have to move on some major issues during the next few days.

The main negotiations table met Friday to discuss the real problem areas that remain unsettled. The union was clear that unless big moves were made this week on the priority demands, realistically, there will not be an agreement by month’s end.

Unresolved issues

Some of the major issues that remain unresolved include human rights training, contracting in work, wages, benefits, carts and householders.

Senior management has made a big issue of the need to have a respectful workplace. Yet management is refusing our proposal to extend the very successful human rights and workplace conflict resolution training that was initiated as part of the 2003 collective agreement.

The union has many important demands on the preservation and improvement of public postal services where little progress has been made. We need to see moves on the contracting in of retail counter services and the work of Group 3 and 4 members. The union is also looking for an agreement on the expansion of door-to-door mail delivery. Not only does this increase the number of CUPW jobs, it provides an important public service to communities.

Canada Post is also offering 2% in wages and one-time lump sum payments under their Corporate Team Incentive scheme. We are demanding a 4% wage increase in each year of the collective agreement and a one-time adjustment for Groups 3 and 4.

One of our health and safety priorities is increased time values for householders. The union has been trying to come up with real solutions to deal with health and safety concerns tied to the increasing number of householders. We are not in agreement with Canada Post’s demand for letter carriers to deliver householders that are 12x12x1. We don’t think this is a good idea.

Canada Post is also proposing major changes to our drug plan. They are saying a third party committee would decide which new drugs would be covered by our drug plan. We have replied that all new drugs with medicinal value must be included under the plan. Our health is not for sale.

Deadline approaching

There is little over a week left to reach a new negotiated settlement. Now is the time for Canada Post to show a commitment to achieving a new collective agreement. Please visit the CUPW website at www.cupw-sttp.org for more information on the status of negotiations.