Author: anju parmar

Greetings sisters, brothers, cousins, and others! Lisa Q, one of our letter carrier executive stewards, noticed that the establishment from her depot showed some coworkers on assignments that weren’t what they were actually doing. After our talk, on Monday January 13 2025, I did a complete audit of the establishment lists for the letter carrier depots in our local. For anyone that isn’t familiar with them, they’re a detailed report of who is doing what route, where our relief are working, etc. I was VERY surprised to learn that there were 105 OR & 24 VR positions that were not being covered that week! Now when depots are failing to get overtime delivered and handing all the mail back to the routes that it came from, I think we may have found the reason why!

I immediately contacted our zone managers with the details of what was wrong in each of their areas, and requested a consultation with PC&R because we need to have a formal discussion on the record. On Wednesday January 22^nd, we had our meeting. To my surprise, PC&R said that they were not aware of this deficit & they were very concerned. They completely agreed that being short 129 relief positions is not acceptable, and they had already started a hiring campaign for the Vancouver local after reading my initial notice! They acknowledged that this was obviously the reason for the 17.04 overtime issues that our local is having, especially in our SSD depots where it’s much more difficult for a carrier to know when their mail is being handed back to them from a previous day.

Unfortunately, the relief coverage is still nowhere near good enough. As of the coming week of Feb 23, the uncovered routes are 98 OR & 21 VR. 119 uncovered relief is better than 129, but this is still terrible. As a reminder, please make sure you’re filing a grievance every time the corporation tells you that they weren’t able to cover any part of your route when you needed help. Staffing is their responsibility, and it’s their own decisions that caused this problem on our work floors.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Joseph Henderson McCance

^1st Vice President CUPW Vancouver Local 846

 

I just received a call from a letter carrier asking me about online bidding, and I didn’t have any idea what they were talking about. They proceeded to tell me that there’s a notice in their info book telling them that in the near future, everyone will be bidding for routes online, instead of on paper in their depots. Not only has there been no discussion about training members to ensure they’re able to do this, but, there was not even a mention to the Vancouver local office that the corporation was considering this change. This is absolutely unacceptable! Not only does this violate Article 8 of the Collective Agreement, but this puts us in a position of not being able to offer any assistance to our members because we are completely unaware of this change!

I’ve already reached out to set up a consultation as soon as possible, and we’ll keep you informed as we learn of their proposed changes.

In Solidarity,

Joseph Henderson McCance

1st   Vice President 

Saturday March 8^th at 10 am
Zoom Video/Phone Conference

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/pQBu50Q6Q1ylpxQlvvR3tQ

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information   about joining the meeting.

Registration will close on Friday March 7^th at 10am

The Vancouver Local is having a Human Rights Committee Meeting

Agenda for the meeting

• Defending your rights in the workplace as an Equity seeking member.
• Report from the National Human Rights Committee members.

If you have any other  specific agenda items to discuss at the committee meeting, please send it via     email at [email protected] .

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

On behalf of Local Human Rights Committee

Sign language interpreter has been confirmed.

 

General Membership Meeting

February 27^th, Thursday at 7pm

Maritimes Labour Centre

1880 Triumph Street

Vancouver

Agenda for the February GMM:

1. Land Acknowledgment
2. Reading of Truth and Reconciliation: Calls to Action
3. Reading of Harassment Policy
4. Reading of new members
5. Reading of the previous meeting’s minutes
6. Business arising out of the minutes
7. New Business (Lifetime Membership Motion)
8. Nominations and elections:
   1. Organizing Committee (1)
   2. Regional delegate Alternates (1)
   3. Balloting Committee (2)
   4. LCRMS (1)

 

9. Executive Committee Motions
10. Unfinished business
11. Correspondence
12. Executive and Committee Reports
13. Good and Welfare
14. Adjournment

***ASL Interpreters have been confirmed for this meeting***

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

 

Nominations have now closed now for the following positions on the Local Executive Committee:

 President

Anju Parmar

Robyn Mann

Kat Poch

Michael Seney

2^nd Vice President

Raylene Marshall

Darcy Purewal

Education Director

Adrian Chow

Doug Kellam

Alex Pensato

Edward Wan

Executive Shop Stewards Internal PPC/ PIF Shift 1

Zenaida Garcia

Arvind Parmar

Following are Nominated and Acclaimed

Grievance Officer :  Alan Dobbs

 Recording Secretary/ By Laws Chair:  Neerja Bhatara

Executive Shop Stewards

Executive Shop Steward External MSC: Surinder Kumar

Executive Shop Stewards external LC:

Martin Kosik

Lisa Quattrocchi

Executive Shop Steward GLT:    Raj Deo

The schedule for the 2025 annual election will be presented in a future bulletin. Congratulations to those acclaimed to a position and good luck to those nominated.

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

On Thursday January 29, 2025, Canada Post requested consult with CUPW to break the past practice of how our members are moved out of section.  The previous agreement was that volunteers were canvased, if none, then moved by reverse seniority. Canada Post has decided to use a new practice of being able to move anyone, anywhere with no respect to seniority or anything else.  CUPW objects to this whole heartedly.  We believe seniority counts for something.  We also believe that, left to their own devices, management will use it to target members or move the same people over and over because they move without questioning.  We believe that the reverse seniority helped shield us from these issues as it introduced a policy that was universal.  Even though CUPW objected, Canada Post is pushing ahead with this new unfair practice.

We need to fight this new unfair process to try to ensure fairness.  Here are some things we would like our members to do when moved without using the reverse seniority process.

1. File ALL backfilling grievances. It is difficult for the corporation to move people without backfilling the rotation you were on.  We need to hold Canada Post responsible for this violation of the collective agreement.
2. Use your right under Article 9.07 to complain if you feel you have been moved unfairly. Management needs to know what they are doing wrong and how it effects people.
3. Use Article 6.03(c) when you are moved out of section. This article is to be used whenever you start in a new section.  It is 15 min with a steward when starting a new assignment.
4. If you believe you are being targeted by management please consider filing a harassment complaint or a Notice of Occurrence. Everyone has the right to work harassment free.
5. Care about your health and safety! If you are not sure of all process’ ask.  Ask where the emergency exits are.  Ask where the muster stations are.  Don’t take anything to do with your health and safety lightly.

If you have any concerns or question, please reach out to me or your shift Executive shop steward.

In Solidarity,

 Bryan Schuck, 3^rd Vice President

February 27^th, 28^th, and March 1^st.

8:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. (Thursday, Friday & Saturday)

*These courses will be held in person unless public health guidelines change. *

This 3-day course is for Vancouver Local Members who are either interested in becoming Shop Stewards or want to learn more about their rights under the Collective Agreement.

Course prerequisite: You MUST have attended at least one (1) General Membership Meeting in the past twelve (12) months, and be a member in good standing prior to the course application deadline.

Please fill out the Vancouver Local Education application form legibly and in full. Must include your work location, shift, and days off. Partially completed or illegible applications will not be accepted.

Application Deadline: February 11^th (Tuesday) at Noon.

Applications can be accepted by mail: CUPW Vancouver Local 109- 4238 Lozells Ave, Burnaby, BC V5A 0C4, by fax (604)-685-4931, or, in person at the Union Office.

In Solidarity,

Anju Parmar, President

On behalf of Michael Seney Education director