Dear editor:
As a member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 718, I take great exception to your headline for the article about our labour dispute with Canada Post Corporation (CPC) (“CUPW Workers Were Preparing to go Postal”)
This simply perpetuates the stereotype of postal workers as unstable hotheads who go off at a moment’s notice.
On the contrary, our negotiations with CPC have been characterized by a calm, patient approach by our negotiating committee, as well as our membership at large. For seven months, we have attempted to negotiate with CPC only to be met with a program of demands that undermines everything we have spent decades struggling for, and an unwillingness on the part of the Corporation to actually negotiate.
I would like to remind the public that we have not been forced to take strike action for 14 years, and have settled two contracts with no work disruption involved. However, we cannot and will not simply allow CPC to destroy all that we have achieved under the false premise that these changes are needed to make the Corporation profitable. As a union, we have suggested many ways in which CPC can expand the services it offers and become more profitable.
One other myth that it is worth dispelling is that our wages are paid by the Canadian taxpayer. Rather they come directly from the profits accrued by the Corporation ($1.7billion in the past 15 years, out of which $1.2 billion has been paid in dividends and taxes to the Federal government.)
What the taxpayer could end up paying for, if Canada Post has its way, would be any long term illness or injury suffered by our members. Under the CPC’s “Short Term Disability plan”, our members would no longer be able to bank our earned sick leave credits, to be used in case of long-term illness or injury. Instead CPC proposes a three stage plan employing 7 “personal days” followed by leave approved by Manulife Insurance,and ultimately by the Federal Employment Insurance disability program. So rather than our long-term sick time being paid for by the Corporation, it would be paid for out of EI funds. A nice deal for CPC!
CUPW does not take strike action lightly, but neither can we accept the CPC plan which endangers not only the wages and benefits of our members, but, more importantly, their health and safety.
Stephen Harvey
Courtenay
