Canada Post reported a profit, before tax, of $63 million in 2015. Canada Post says that much of this profit is due to the hard work of their employees.
The report stated, “Solid efforts by our employees to improve service and convenience for online shoppers and retailers led to record Parcels growth. This helped establish Canada Post as the largest parcel company in the country and contributed to a profit before tax of $63 million for the Canada Post segment in 2015. Since 2011, Parcels revenue has grown by $429 million.”
So, on the one hand Canada Post is acknowledging that some of this profit is due to the hard work of CUPW members.
However…
Canada Post’s position at the bargaining table gives a new meaning to the term “thank you.” The new Canada Post meaning of “thank you” is, “we want to eliminate your half hour paid lunch, reduce your entitlement to vacation leave, change your pension into a far less secure defined contribution pension, and charge you a lot more for your extended health care plan.”
Humph.
Some of Canada Post rollbacks are not in accordance with what they say in their Annual Report. Here are some examples of that:
|
In the Canada Post annual report, Canada Post says… |
At the bargaining table, Canada Post is saying… |
And in reality… |
|
Parcels are crucial and growing component of our business. |
We want to reduce the number of full time inside workers and increase the number of part time workers processing parcels. |
Currently at the PPC, Canada Post is extending part time PO4 hours on a regular basis to get parcels out. Reducing the number of full time workers won’t improve the processing of parcels, it will hinder that. |
|
In 2014, we reduced lost-time injury by 17% compared to 2014 Better communication between front line managers and employees has contributed to that. |
We want to change health and safety training (which is generally done in a classroom) to being done digitally. We want to reduce the number of physiotherapy sessions workers are entitled to under the extended health plan. |
This reduces communication between workers and their supervisors regarding health and safety issues and has the potential of making the workplace less safe. Reducing the number of physiotherapy sessions will make it harder for us to recover from injuries. |
|
Neighbourhood Mail (unaddressed admail) revenue increased by $10 million and volumes increased by 80 million pieces. |
We want to have fewer people delivering more admail, but also eliminating lunch breaks, reducing vacation leave, and taking away wash up time. |
Letter carriers want to continue to deliver admail. They just don’t want to feel overburdened while delivering. |
|
Canada Post continues to face a high rate of employee departure with about 15,000 employees expected to retire or leave the corporation in the next five (5) years. One risk this brings is a failure to attract, and retain top talent. |
We want to pay the top talent we recruit as temporary workers an even lower wage and make it more difficult for them to ever get on the same wage scale as current workers. |
Temporary workers have proved to be a dedicated workforce, who have helped Canada Post make their profits. Temporary employees need to be treated well to become future workers. |
|
Canada Post needs to offer the kinds of high quality services that Canadians require—where and when they want them. |
Canada Post is continuing to oppose CUPW’s bargaining demand for postal banking. |
Canadians like the idea of Canada Post making money through financial services according to a poll from April 2014. Close to two out of every three respondents (63.5%) supported Canada Post expanding revenue-generating services – including financial services like bill payments, insurance, and banking. |
|
Canada Post employees are crucial to our success. |
Canada Post wants to reward these employees by reducing their retirement security and making them pay lots more for their post-retirement benefits |
We need more than a thank you and pizza. We want and need a fair new contract. |
Canada Post was able to increase their parcel revenue because of OUR hard work. PO4s and P05s work hard to sort and process parcels. Letter carriers, RSMCs and MSCs labour to deliver parcels. And, people in Tech services make sure that the processing equipment and trucks are in good shape.
Please come to our upcoming strike vote meetings to send a message to Canada Post—
“In order to continue to grow and expand, and remain profitable—you need to respect us and take away your rollbacks! We want and need a new collective agreement!”
In solidarity,
Heather Andrews
Secretary-treasurer
Vancouver local of CUPW
ck/CUPE-3338