The members of the Union of Postal Communications Employees (UPCE) are taking a strike vote from October 1^st to the 17^th and be in situation to do strike action after that.  I am asking CUPW members to support them.

UPCE members perform administrative, technical and clerical work, including customer support for businesses and consumers.

UPCE has been bargaining with Canada Post since June 2008.  Their collective agreement expired August 31, 2008.  They still do not have a new contract.  Instead, they have Canada Post’s proposals for rollbacks.

Wages

Canada Post is proposing that UPCE members get a small wage increase and a new Individual Performance Incentive.  If CPC thinks a UPCE member has worked hard, she will get a monetary increase, based on her years of service.  If CPC thinks that the UPCE member “needs improvement” then she will not receive this wage increment.

Canada Post is offering UPCE a lower percentage wage increase than they offered to CUPW Urban operations members.

Contracting out

Canada Post has contracted out some of the hiring and screening functions, formerly done by UPCE members to large transnational companies.

Canada Post refuses to negotiate strong job security provisions for UPCE members.

Sick Leave

At the bargaining table, Canada Post has proposed to eliminate UPCE member’s sick leave and family-related leave entitlements.  CPC wants to replace these with a new, corporate short-term disability program. 

Currently, UPCE members have 20 annual days of paid sick and family-related leave, of which 15 days can be banked if unused.  CPC’s proposal is to entirely eliminate UPCE members’ entitlement to sick leave and replace it with 7 personal days per year.  These days would not be banked, but would be paid out if unused.

The “new plan” that CPC wants UPCE members to accept would provide a 70% income replacement when off on extended sick leave.  UPCE members would have to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) to be reimbursed. 

Canada Post said

In their submission to the Strategic Review Panel, Canada Post said they want government to appoint a 3^rd party to recommend which rights and protections should be eliminated from our collective agreement so that CPC can make more profits.

In the same submission, CPC management complains about our seniority provisions, our protections concerning technological change, the grievance process, and the fact that arbitrators regularly find that they are violating the collective agreement.  CPC applauds other postal administrations for reducing full-time positions by using more part-time and contract employees.

These are just some of the reasons to support UPCE.  If they win, we win. 

There are 21 UPCE Locals across the country.  Support them when they are holding rallies, demonstrations, and practice pickets. 

By supporting UPCE, we are standing up for fairness and dignity at Canada Post.