Canada Post and Its Vision of Health and Safety

You’ve probably noticed that Canada Post has a peculiar way of looking at our health and safety. The most recent demonstration of this was its promotion of “North American Occupational Safety and Health Week”, which was held from May 2^nd to 8^th this year. The week is celebrated in Canada, the United States and Mexico as an annual event under the free-trade accord between the three countries. Its purpose is “to focus employers, employees, partners and the public on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community.” However, it’s a forum created mostly for the benefit of governments and employers. So Canada Post is actively involved in the week’s activities. This year, it’s working more than ever to promote its vision of health and safety.

In one of the activities related to this week, Canada Post will give out “Safety Awards” to its workplaces where “there were no injuries with loss of time in 2009.”  According to its own figures, more than 4,000 locations will get a commemorative plaque. Meanwhile, in other CPC work places where members suffered disabling injuries, the affected workers will have to cope with their injuries while having to deal with the employer’s various “assistance” programs, namely:

1. The “Frequently Injured Employee (FIE)” process – This is a program the employer developed “to assist the employee in overcoming the unsafe behaviour." As you can see, it already assumes the employee is to blame. The Union rejects FIE, which the employer uses to bully members who report their work place accidents. The employer does this through letters wrongfully placed in employees’ files, making them feeling guilty and responsible for their misfortunes. The employer is also using this process to unilaterally transfer external group members to the internal group. The union has filed two national grievances regarding this practice, one for the urban operations unit, and the other for the RSMC unit.
   
   
2. The “Online Safety Awareness Interactive Video” – This is another Canada Post initiative it says is designed "to address unsafe acts, and/or unsafe behaviours." Here again, the employer assumes the employee’s behaviour is at fault. The union has rejected this program as well, which requires the employee to view safety videos before going back to work. Once more, members are viewed as being responsible for their bad luck. This is clearly harassment by Canada Post.

Add to these the interviews that follow work place accidents, the letters put on our personal files, Canada Post’s challenges to our accident claims and Manulife’s involvement and interference in some of them, and it’s easy to see the hypocrisy of an employer that brags about work places that have no reported accidents with disabling injuries, but then turns around and harasses workers who do suffer those  disabling injuries.

Another Canada Post activity as part of the week is to sponsor a competition where “all employees will be asked to contribute a safety suggestion to aid in prevention activities.”  The suggestions have to be indicated on an official form with the employee’s name and work location, which then goes to the supervisor or superintendent. Afterwards, a management “Health and Safety Council” will review all suggestions received and give awards to the five top suggestions. This competition continues till the end of May.

For the employer to directly address members on health and safety issues in this way is a violation of the collective agreement. Moreover, it shows blatant disrespect for union representatives who have the necessary and appropriate training, as well as for health and safety representatives and members of local health and safety committees. The employer implemented this activity unilaterally and never raised it in the National Joint Health and Safety Committee (NJHSC). It’s another illustration of the employer’s twisted attitude and biased understanding of the word “joint” when dealing with health and safety issues at both local and national levels.

The union asks members not to let themselves be played for fools in a pathetic game where the employer hands out roles and prizes, acting as both judge and jury. Don’t get involved in any employer-sponsored competitions. Report your injuries, no matter how minor. Demand that a union representative be involved in any accident investigation. Support your union representatives and LJHSC representatives in their efforts to promote and improve your health and safety at work.  Now that you know what the employer thinks of you and your behaviour at work, it’s our turn to show it what you think of its vision of your health and safety at work.