Thursday December 14 2017

CUPW members have the ability to try out new uniform items or pieces of equipment as part of a joint process conducted by the National Joint Uniform Committee (NJUC). The Committee then holds discussions regarding these new clothing items or pieces of equipment. The information gathered under this process is sometimes used to modify an item or to determine whether it should be included in or excluded from the order catalogue.

At recent meetings, the Corporation mentioned that the number of names on the list of volunteers for trying out uniform items is insufficient. Only about 2% of the membership is participating.

Changes to our uniforms and the equipment we use to perform our daily work are made to bring it up to date. It is essential that CUPW be involved throughout the process. Our health and safety depends on it.

That is why we are asking you to get involved in this program, as we want to have a greater pool of volunteers across the country. This will allow for a more relevant assessment of the various comments that will guide the discussions of the NJUC.

The more information we have from workers who actually perform the work, the more we’ll be able to present stronger arguments and ensure the clothing and equipment provided by the Corporation is appropriate.

CUPW encourages members of both bargaining units to participate since the list of volunteers includes both Urban Ops and RSMC members. In addition, we need participants who are representative of our membership’s demographics.  Since the climate varies greatly across the country, we encourage members from small and mid-size locals to participate, as well as members working in large urban areas.

To apply to become a volunteer for uniform testing, simply provide your full name, work location and CPC employee identification number to your Local union representative, and ask that this information be sent to the Regional CUPW office.

Since there is an urgent need for volunteers and the list is usually updated each January, please send in your information as quickly as possible if you are interested.

In solidarity,

Marc Roussel
CUPW National Union Representative – Health and Safety