February 2007

My Fellow CUPW Members:

It comes with great concern that I am writing this month’s Bulletin. As most of you are aware our Union’s National Executive board, by a vote of 8 to 7, recommended to accept a tentative Collective Agreement with Canada Post.

As a vote that close would indicate, this agreement is very contentious and divisive. For the reasons I am about to explain, the Calgary CUPW Executive board and I have recommended the agreement be rejected by the Local at the ratification vote to be held in the next few weeks.

The tentative deal falls well short in a number of areas including:

• Wages…the 4 year agreement would provide for only a 10.9 % wage increase over the life of the Contract. Calgary’s inflation rate is running at nearly 6 % annually. Postal workers in this city continue to lose ground financially.
• Staffing…Internal members will continue to deal with the lack of proper staffing. Canada Post has not addressed the issue, which means more work for fewer people. 
• Letter Carriers…The modest 1/3 a cent per piece for unaddressed admail and tiny increases in time values don’t meet the growing demands on Letter Carriers. The option of being able to use a cart will not solve the problem of overburdening.
• Group 3 and 4 (Tech services)…these members will continue to see their wages slip in relationship to the private sector and the Corporation is not dealing with the issue of contracting out of our members work. This is simply not acceptable. 

During this round of bargaining the Union presented only 73 demands, of these less than half were dealt with at the bargaining table.  This is a clear indication that the tentative agreement does not meet the needs of our members and their families. 

The most contentious issue is Corporate Team Incentive.  This issue is far more than simply money, the consequences of accepting a bonus structure into our contract is enormous.  The Corporation holds all the cards in deciding how and when the bonus will be paid.  The Corporation has the ability to modify the CTI at any time thus making the bonus plan a weapon to be used against the work of the Union.

This has the potential to divide our membership to it’s core.  At a time when the pressures and demands of the workplace are increasing the last thing that is needed is a program built around forcing competition among workers when the goal should be uniting workers.  You must ask yourself why the Corporation would insist on us accepting their bonus plans and risking a strike over an issue like this.  What is the Corporations ultimate plan to weaken the Union by dividing the membership?

This is a crucial time in the history of our Union and our Public Post Office; only postal workers will fight to defend the survival of this vital institution.  No one should doubt our resolve.  In the past our Union has achieved much by standing together against an unreasonable employer, this is no time to back down. 

The consequences of rejecting this tentative deal are uncertain, but the Executive and I believe that agreeing to this deal would have a profoundly negative affect on the Union as a whole.  Leading up to ratification there will be much contradictory information put forth, however our local will be positive and firm in our opposition to this bad deal.  I will make an effort to see many of you and discuss your concerns around this debate.

The decision is ultimately the memberships and I have confidence that you will see this deal for what it is!!!
 

In Solidarity,
Robert Scobel
Robert Scobel 
President Calgary Local CUPW

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