On Monday, August 10, 2015, Ikea Catalogue delivery begins. After signing a perennial national Memorandum of Agreement regarding Ikea Catalogue delivery, Canada Post typically adjusts a handful of delivery schedules across the country. This year, the introduction of residential home delivery has been included.
What Does this Mean for Postal Workers?
At the Local Ikea consultation, many gestures of good faith were made by management. They assured CUPW that delivery carts would be made available upon request. It was agreed that the health and safety of workers was a top priority.
Problems would be dealt within each station. Efforts would be made to ease the overburdening. O/T would be granted in a case by case manner to deliver to large buildings and buildings with small mailboxes. Buildings with no elevators and more than one flight of stairs, up or down, would be reviewed. Lobby drops would be permitted where situations permit. In walk-around apartment buildings where the catalogue does not fit through the receptacle, you will be able to leave it at the door. We were assured that the message would be carried to the frontlines by Supervisors on the Health and Safety committees.
Delivery Window
The manner in which we are expected to deliver the catalogues has changed slightly from past years. With the introduction of houses, the number of days to complete delivery varies. The criteria is as follows:
- 14 working days, excluding Mondays, for all routes with less than 300 houses, and;
- 20 working days, excluding Mondays, for all non-motorized routes with more than 300 houses, and;
- 20 working days, excluding Mondays, for all motorized routes with more than 500 houses.
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*Important!* Due to the Restructure at the Capilano Delivery Centre and North Vancouver Depot 2, Ikea delivery will start August 24, 2015. The Employer refused to allow Letter Carriers the opportunity to utilize the 20 day delivery window. For clarity, the Union objected to the position taken by the Employer. |
Hurry Up and Get Hurt!
Assurances are only as good as the action they lead to. Except for those rarest of rare stations that have a proactive management team, most will be left with a DO-AS-YOU-GO…but safety first 😉 , approach.
Remember your Right to Refuse Unsafe Work Under: Article 33.13
Restrictions on Lifting
Article 33.12
(a) No individual employee will be required to lift by hand, any object in excess of twenty-two point seven (22.7) kilograms [fifty (50) pounds].
(b) No letter carrier or mail service courier delivering on foot will be required to carry more than fifteen point nine (15.9) kilograms [thirty-five (35) pounds].
Should you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your Shop Steward.
In Solidarity,
Chris Zukoswky
1st Vice-President
ck/CUPE-3338