When: January 26, 2012

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Where: Queensborough Community Center – “Porter Room”

920 Ewen Ave.

Agenda:

• Review November 2011 General Meeting Minutes
• Elections for Local Grievance Officer
• Elections for Executive Chief Shop Steward

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Canada Post management has shown once again that it remains firmly entrenched in the tail end of modern day Human Rights standards.

On January 11, 2012, a Vancouver Letter Carrier found herself confronted by a post office supervisor who requested to take photos of her leg with a personal cell phone. The employee, who had suffered an injury-on-duty, was in the process of returning a medical form and was fully clothed at the time. The employee was led to believe that there would be consequences should she refuse to allow the supervisor take the photographs. The incident sparked the intervention of a Shop Steward who observed the female employee with her pants around her ankles in the open view of passing employees as the supervisor hovered over her, cell phone camera in hand. Despite the intervention, the supervisor continued to pressure the employee into allowing her to take photographs.

In most organizations, this type of conduct would be prohibited but Canada Post exists in a parallel universe, where common sense is often rejected and statutory rights are viewed as mere inconveniences. When approached by Union representatives for an explanation, Canada Post Manager Ken Buker lived up to expectations. A core player on Director Marie Robinson’s management team, Buker refused to acknowledge the obvious. While smirking, he claimed that Canada Post has the right to photograph employees. Buker further refused to reassign the offending supervisor. Interestingly enough, several management representatives who later spoke with Union officials on the condition of anonymity stated that they would not want their own family members subjected to such treatment.

A subsequent meeting with Marie Robinson failed to resolve the issue. Robinson, who has been found guilty in the past of engaging in illegal conduct, refused to comment on the legality of such invasive photo op undertakings.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Employees have a fundamental right of privacy. Although not isolated, Canada Post’s actions in this incident strayed outside the bounds of ethical behaviour. Employees cannot be required to expose themselves in order that they may be photographed by their supervisors. Such photographic undertakings are humiliating, degrading and unacceptably invasive.

Moreover, it is a breach of the privacy rights that flow from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As noted by arbitrators, employees do not leave their privacy rights at the company gate.

When an employee suffers an injury on duty, Canada Post is required by both the Collective Agreement and the Canada Labour Code to include a Union representative in the investigation of the accident. Despite its legal obligations, Canada Post often deliberately excludes Union representatives from accident investigations, which then allows supervisors to isolate employees. Once isolated, employees can be more easily coerced into forgoing their rights.

Canada Post is entitled to certain medical information after an employee suffers an injury-on-duty, from the employee’s physician. Illicit photography is completely out of bounds. As noted by one supervisor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, why do we have doctors if photographs are to be used as an assessment of an employee’s injury?

An employee’s physician is always in the best position to assess and diagnose his/her patient’s injury. When confronted by supervisors who are prepared to act in unethical fashion by requesting illegitimate photographs, just say NO! And contact your Union representative immediately.

In Solidarity,

Ken Mooney
Regional Grievance Officer

Jan 16/12 cope 225

CUPW has filed a National Policy grievance alleging Canada Post violated the Urban Operations Collective Agreement between May 30 and June 27, 2011.

Bill C-6, the back-to-work legislation, extended the term of the Urban Operations Collective Agreement back to February 1, 2011.

As a result, CUPW is arguing that the Urban Operations Collective agreement was in full force and effect for the entire period.

This means that Canada Post violated the Collective Agreement when they:

* failed to grant us sick leave with pay, vacation leave, and other types of leaves during this period;

* failed to honour health care claims during this period;

* failed to include this period in the calculation of our sick leave, vacation leave, night worker’s leave and other types of credits;

* failed to accept grievances;

* failed to properly pay us for overtime hours worked;

* failed to allocate work on an uncovered route properly;

* performed bargaining unit work;

* sent apprentices home from training;

* changed letter carrier work patterns.

This is not a complete list. For example, in the Pacific Region, B. C. members were denied the 70% coverage for their Provincial Medical Insurance Plan during the month of June 2011. Many members are just getting these late bills at this time since the B. C. Government contracted out this service to the private sector.

At this time, many members also have to choose whether to take their vacation leave without pay or work the extra dates since the employer also decided to not honour the Vacation Leave entitlement described in Article 19.01. For example, if you were entitled to 3 weeks, the employer will not honour 1.25 days of your vacation leave. If you are entitled to 7 weeks the employer will not honour 2.9 days.

CUPW wants Canada Post to resolve this National Policy grievance by fully and retroactively applying all the provisions of the Collective Agreement, and providing proper compensation.

You need to inform your local of how this decision by the employer has impacted your vacation leave, your provincial medical coverage or your sick leave, since the employer also did not allow you to accrue 1.25 days of sick leave during June 2011. Please copy any documents you have that show the deductions of your vacation leave and/or vacation pay; or inform the local that you chose to work these dates rather than lose your pay. Include any relevant correspondence from the employer regarding this situation.

Solidarity,

John Bail
National Director

JB:iwk
cope 225

January 16, 2012  -  09:00

Our Health Our Safety

Volume 10 • Number 1 • January 2012

A historic round of Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) negotiations is about to begin. This is CUPW’s first time going into RSMC negotiations with the right to strike. While much progress has been made since January 1, 2004 when this current agreement took effect, CUPW’s eventual goal is equality with the urban operations (UPO) bargaining unit.

All three of the themes of this round of bargaining— fairness, respect, and progress—apply to our health and safety (H&S).

Here is a copy of our newsletter as we fight to improve our working conditions for ALL RSMC’s through our ongoing round of bargaining with Canada Post.

Please click on the following..

http://royalcity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/RSMC-OHOS-jan2012_en.pdf

January 17, 2012  -  16:00

Education / Bulletin

2011-2015/018

In solidarity,

Cindi Foreman
2nd National Vice-President

January 3, 2012  -  16:00

2011-2015/015

In solidarity,

Serge Champoux
National Union Representative – Health and Safety