[homeles_ot-l] Possibility of mail strike - some benefit cheques won't be delivered

[Linda Lalonde]

Hi Marion,



My apologies, I should have made my message more clear - I have no issue with CUPW and support the right to strike very strongly. I very much appreciate that CUPW's commitment to the community includes the offer to all levels of government to ensure that those dependent on various types of income supports are protected from the actions of Canada Post at the bargaining table. On a local level, CUPW has always worked with us on social justice issues and been a strong supporter nationally.



What happened was that I found out indirectly that some income support providers, including the City of Ottawa where I live, are opting out of having social assistance cheques delivered by CUPW in the event of a strike. Most social agencies, community organizations and housing providers in this area were not aware of this and so weren't preparing for the problems that will inevitably arise when people can't get to the cheque pick-up locations. 



At the end of the month, most people don't have spare bus fares lying around or money to pay a sitter so they can go and stand in line for hours to get their cheques. It was suggested to me that, to avoid the line-ups, people could wait till the end of the week when it would go faster. It wasn't explained how the family was supposed to eat in the meantime or pay their rent.



My intention was to alert people on assistance and folks that have contact with them or with service agencies so they could prepare for the possibility of a cheque not coming to the door. I'm very sorry if it came across as anti-union or non-supportive of the collective bargaining process. That's definitely not my personal position. 


I should also have specifically recognized CUPW for doing their best to ensure that people don't suffer from Canada Post's long-standing bargaining practices and for all the work that you do in communities across the country to support social justice work.



Linda. 

--- On Fri, 5/20/11, Marion Pollack <mpollack at CUPW-STTP.ORG> wrote:

Linda Lalonde wrote to express her concern about the possibility that some government benefit cheques will not be delivered during a possible postal strike. I am a CUPW member .

CUPW began contacting Canada Post about delivering socio-economic cheques, in the event of a strike, in the fall of 2010. We have managed to negotiate an agreement with Canada Post to deliver these cheques in the event of a strike.

The Federal Government, and all provinces and territories were given given the option of participating n this programme and in determining what cheques would be delivered. This was not a decision of CUPW or even Canada Post, but a decision of the respective Governments.

The Federal Government decided not to include EI cheques.

The fact is that CUPW may be forced to go on strike in order to protect and defend equality issues. These include:

- opposing two tier wages for newly hired workers. Demographic studies show us that in the future new entrants to the workforce will be mainly women, racialized workers, Aboriginal people, and individuals with disabilities. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers takes the position that these newly hired workers, deserve the same wages and benefits as current workers.

- resisting the imposition of an inferior sick leave plan. This is a woman's issue. A study conducted in Finland, published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine on February 5, 2008 found when it comes to short periods of sick leave, women take almost 50% more time than men.

- taking steps to improve our health and safety. We want to reduce the all too high accident rate at Canada Post/

- addressing staffing problems. CUPW members want to provide good service, but we need proper staffing in order to do so.



The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is working for a new Collective Agreement that:

- recognizes we have helped Canada Post increase their profits and productivity. We want Canada Post to acknowledge this by sharing some of the gains, instead of attacking our wages, rights, and working conditions.

- shares the benefits of modernization with postal workers and the public by improving and expanding public postal services and jobs in communities

- deals with the problems that have accompanied modernization, including work methods that are both healthy and safe

CUPW members do not want to strike. We want a negotiated settlement and are working very hard to attain that. However, we are prepared to go on strike to maintain decent jobs and to protect the postal service.

CUPW's themes for bargaining are respect, equality , and a sharing of the benefits.

Canada Post has made 16 consecutive years of profits.

Given that many women are employed in the public sector, the outcome of this round of bargaining between CUPW and Canada Post has the potential of having a huge impact on the wages and working conditions of many women, even if they are not employed by Canada Post.
 
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