During the past two weeks management has added to the list of demands they initially tabled in late October. Here is a list of some major demands currently being proposed by Canada Post Corporation.

For all current regular employees

Sick leave: Abolish the current system of sick leave credits and introduce a short term disability plan which pays 70% of wages.

Injured workers:  Reduce the injury on duty pay of 100% of gross wages to 75% of gross wages.

Retiree health benefits:Require retirees to pay 100% of the premiums and establish a Health Care Spending Account for retiree benefits under the Extended Health Care Plan (EHCP).

Night recovery leave:Restrict eligibility for night recovery leave.

Group 2 staffing: Change the staffing, annual leave bidding and calculation of relief in letter carrier depots.

Group 1 staffing: Weaken the obligation to staff with full-time positions in Group 1.

Work of the bargaining unit:  Permit supervisors to perform work of the bargaining unit.

Grievance and arbitration procedures: Introduce changes to weaken the grievance and arbitration procedures.

Householders: Increase the maximum sizes and change the delivery spans for householders.

Group 2 workload:Eliminate Appendix CC which provides union rights concerning the Letter Carrier Work Measurement System (LCRMS) and the Mail Service Courier Work Structuring System (MSCWSS).

Vacation leave: Eliminate the 7^th week of vacation leave for all employees who have not yet reached 28 years of service.

Private vehicles: Increase the use of private vehicles and allow transportation of relay bags.

For all workers hired after the date of signing and all current temporary employees who obtain regular status after date of signing.

Hiring: Eliminate the right of temporary employees to obtain regular employment based on seniority. CPC wants to be able to by-pass current temporary employees and hire directly from the street.

Job security: establish weaker job security protections.

Wages: Reduce the entry level wage rate.

Working time: introduced reduced vacations, eliminate wash-up time, eliminate the paid meal period and eliminate special leave and night recovery leave.

Pensions: Implement a defined contribution pension plan.

CUPW Points to the Right Direction

At the bargaining table your negotiators have made it clear that we have no intention of rolling back the gains that have been achieved through thirty-five years of struggle and sacrifice. We have also stated that under no circumstances will we allow junior postal workers to perform the same work for substandard rights, benefits and protections.

CPC is asking us to accept rollbacks on new hires to “protect” the rights and benefits of existing workers. But we see right through this divide-and-conquer tactic. We know that if we let CPC introduce inferior rights for future regular employees it will not be long before they attack the rights of current employees.

It is time to move forwards, not backwards. It’s time for CPC management to understand that postal workers will stick together and demand greater equality at the workplace and for all postal workers to be treated with respect and receive a share of the benefits of postal modernization. If Canada Post wants to have a Collective Agreement, they know now what to do.