RSMC Negotiations Bulletin No. 20
As reported in previous bulletins the employer has spent much time and money trying to convince the RSMC
membership that the proposals being made by the employer are beneficial to the membership and should be
accepted by the Union’s Negotiating Committee. As the parties near the beginning of the interest arbitration
process it is important that the membership understands why the Union’s Negotiating Committee has not reached
an agreement with the employer concerning revisions and additions to the present collective agreement. This
bulletin will attempt to provide such understanding by summarizing the positions held by both the Union and
the employer at the time the Union applied for interest arbitration. The identification of the Union demands
is identical to the order found in the August 2009 issue of Perspective.
Union Demands
- General wage increase and additional increase for lower paid members
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Rejected by employer.
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- Payment for all hours worked
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Rejected by employer.
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- Job security and protections in surplus employee situations
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Rejected by employer.
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- Prohibition against the contracting out of RSMC work
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Rejected by employer.
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- Protections for members when technological changes are being introduced
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Rejected by employer.
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- Restrictions on the conversion of delivery modes
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Rejected by employer.
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- Implementation of a Route Measurement System
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Rejected by employer.
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- Daily limits on number of householder sets and weight
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Rejected by employer.
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- Appointment of observers during restructuring exercises
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Rejected by employer.
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- Four (4) days of cumulative paid sick leave per year
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Rejected by employer.
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- Long-term disability plan
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Not sent to interest arbitration.
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- Consultation with Union when accommodation required
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Rejected by employer.
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- Right of members to refuse unsafe work
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Rejected by employer.
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- Inclusion of RSMC in drug plan applicable to all other unionized employees
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Rejected by employer.
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- Four weeks of paid vacation leave after seven (7) years of continuous employment
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Rejected by employer.
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- Funding for the Child Care Fund
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Rejected by employer.
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- Supplementary payments for maternity and adoption allowance
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Rejected by employer.
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- Isolated post allowances
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Not sent to interest arbitration.
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- Increase in number of Relief Employees and number of installations covered by Relief Employees
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Rejected by employer.
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- Increased benefits for Relief Employees
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Rejected by employer.
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- Increased rights and benefits for Union representatives
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Rejected by employer.
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- Increased representational rights for members
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Rejected by employer.
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- Guaranteed access to non-public areas of postal installations
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Rejected by employer.
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- Members to be entitled to paid court leave
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Rejected by employer.
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- Update list of arbitrators
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Rejected by employer.
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- Provide definitions of employees
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Not sent to interest arbitration.
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- Fill vacant routes on basis of seniority, improve information about available routes, eliminate two year
restriction
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Rejected by employer.
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- Seniority to be used when routes bid following a sizeable restructure and in surplus situations
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Rejected by employer.
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- Additional hours to be offered when use of Relief Employees or Replacement Workers does not allow
sufficient coverage of uncovered routes
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Rejected by employer.
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- Replacement Workers and Helpers to be given additional rights to fill vacant routes before the employer
hires from outside the post office
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Rejected by employer.
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- Implement a process to ensure that all financial cap monies are properly allocated
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Rejected by employer.
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Employer Demands
- Wage increases based on “market realities” and additional increases for employees holding lower paying
routes
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The Union has rejected this proposal as it does not believe that wage increases should be based on the
location that a member works and believes the percentage increase for lower paid routes proposed by the
employer is too high.
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- Short Term Disability (STD) Plan (includes an increase in the number of yearly personal days)
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The Union has rejected this proposal as it believes that the STD does not provide a sufficient benefit for
the membership (see Union demand 10). The Union also believes that a possible increase in the number of
personal days can be dealt with as a separate issue by the parties.
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- Corporate Team Incentive
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The Union has rejected this proposal as the employer has not provided a rational explanation as to why
such a productivity bonus should be taken from the financial cap – which is money already owed to RSMC
members.
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- Drug Plan
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The Union has rejected this proposal as it provides less benefits and requires higher premiums than the
plan applicable to all other unionized employees at Canada Post.
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- Adding to the list of calculations in Appendix “A” and increasing some of the payable amounts
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The Union has rejected this proposal as it believes that its demand for a Route Management System (demand
7) is a better way of addressing excessive workload problems.
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- Improved benefits in the Dental and Hearing & Vision Plans
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The Union is in agreement with such improved benefits – however, the parties still have to discuss
implementation dates for some of the benefits.
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- Yearly payment of $500.00 and an increase in the boot allowance payment to Relief Employees
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The Union has rejected this proposal as it believes that its demands 19 & 20 will better enable the
employer to hire, maintain and properly utilize Relief Employees.
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- Respect and civility
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Not sent to interest arbitration by the employer.
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- Mandatory complaint stage
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Not sent to interest arbitration by the employer.
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An additional reason for the Union’s rejection of a large number of the employer proposals is that the
employer has not provided the cost of any of the proposals it has made to the Union.
Membership Solidarity Important
It is clear why the employer is taking intransigent and unreasonable positions throughout the negotiation
process, as its aim is to insure that the labour provided by RSMC members is less costly than the labour
provided by employees covered by other collective agreements. What is less clear is why anyone else would
reasonably believe that an employer offer that completely rejects the Union demands, proposes wages and
benefits that are less than those received by other employees of Canada Post and does not seriously address
the daily workplace problems being experienced by the RSMC membership would be a reasonable basis on which to
conclude a collective agreement.
Throughout the upcoming interest arbitration process the membership must continue to show the employer
that they are solidly behind their demands and their Negotiating Committee by participating in local
activities and reading Union publications.
SHOP STEWARDS NEED TO BRING THIS INFORMATION TO THE
ATTENTION OF THE MEMBERS DURING REGULAR WEEKLY SHOP FLOOR MEETINGS.
