LOCAL 846
| CELEBRATION of LIFE | |
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Please join Sandra’s family for her celebration of life. Come have a drink, share a story, have a laugh. DATE: Saturday, August 20, 2011. TIME: 4:30 – 7:00 pm PLACE: Coast Plaza Hotel |
| Facebook: Sandra Nichols memorial page. | |
On July 29, 2011, Arbitrator Joan Gordon overturned an indefinite suspension and subsequent discharge that was imposed on Kay Matheson on the grounds of her refusal to attend an Independent Medical Examination (IME) by a physician of Manulife’s choosing. Matheson, a long-term Shop Steward and Depot 74 Letter Carrier, was indefinitely suspended on April 29, 2010 and later discharged on August 6, 2010. Her discharge came as the culmination of a series of threatening letters from numerous members of Canada Post’s management team operating under the leadership of Marie Robinson, Director of Operations. Continue reading “PIGHEADED DISCHARGE OVERTURNED AT ARBITRATION!”
A targeted “hit” on a Vancouver Letter Carrier has been overturned at arbitration. On February 19, 2010, Aaron Spires, Letter Carrier and CUPW Shop Steward, was discharged by Canada Post on the basis of allegations that he had fraudulently claimed one 
hour of overtime and several hours of sick leave to which he was not entitled. Those incidents allegedly took place on February 9 & 11, 2010. According to former Sea-to-Sky Manager Steven Sapinsky (son-in-law of former Canada Post manager Al Miller), Spires had displayed a “pattern” of claiming payment to which he was not entitled.
In his February 19, 2010 letter of discharge, Sapinsky claimed that Spires had not been targeted. In reality, Sapinsky had placed Spires’ name on a “hit list” shortly after Spires was assigned to the Capilano Delivery Center (CDC) in late December of 2009. Spires’ name was placed on the hit list because he had incurred overtime on several occasions while covering two of CDC’s least desirable routes. Sapinsky’s hit list was circulated amongst supervisory staff at the CDC and Spires immediately became a “person of interest”. Despite a discipline-free work history, Spires was discharged six weeks after being targeted.
July 28, 2011 – 15:30
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Bulletin
Negotiations Bulletin no. 82
CUPW has filed a National Policy grievance alleging Canada Post violated the Urban Operations Collective Agreement between May 30 and June 27, 2011.
Continue reading “CUPW Files A National Policy Grievance (N00-10-00001)”
In Memory of Sandra Nichols
Members of the CUPW Vancouver Local:
The Union was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Sister Sandra Nichols on July 23. Sister Nichols’ passing was tragic in so many ways, and especially painful as it was as the result of a workplace accident that took place at the Vancouver Mail Processing Plant weeks earlier, on July 4.
Sisters & Brothers,
Sister Sandra Nichols, a PO5 on #2 shift at the VMPP, has died from a head injury that she sustained from a fall at work on July 4th. She had been operating a stacker during the afternoon dispatch on the 4th floor by elevator 7/8 when she fell off the stacker and hit her head on the concrete floor, critically injuring herself. Sandra has been a postal worker since 1985, carving out a niche for herself at the VMPP. She had a good sense of humor and laughed easily, loved working a crossword puzzle and was a prolific reader. Her son Patrick Nichols works as a letter carrier in the Vancouver Local and has been very supportive to Sandra’s co-workers in their grief and during the weeks that Sandra was in intensive care. This is a tragedy that won’t be forgotten. Sandra’s co-workers, and all of her brothers and sisters will take time to reflect on this sad event and on her untimely passing.
Sincerely,
Robert
It has been brought to the Union’s attention that Canada Post has recently sent out a letter to temporary employees regarding “reasonable availability”. In that letter, dated June 28, 2011, Canada Post advised temporary employees that their continued employment would be subject to their ability to show “reasonable availability”.
Continue reading ““Reasonable availability” of On-call Temporary Employees at the VMPP”