Postal workers hit picket line

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http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_is ... 27954.html

By Rebecca Aldous - Victoria News

Published: November 18, 2008 11:00 PM
Updated: November 18, 2008 11:16 PM

Postal workers are picketing across the nation, but the situation shouldn’t affect Christmas mail delivery, insists Canada Post.

At 6 a.m. Monday, 2,100 Union of Postal Communications Employees (UPCE) went on strike in protest of a short-term disability section in Canada Post’s latest contract offer.

Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are supporting the much smaller union, but as of Monday went to work at Canada Post sites across the Capital Region.

The dispute between UPCE members and the corporation is over proposed changes to employees’ short-term disability program. Currently UPCE employees are granted 10 hours of sick leave per month, which they can bank. But in the latest package offered by the corporation, that rule would be replaced with an annual allowance for sick leave.

Employees taking more than that would have their cases administered by Manulife Financial.

“So (Canada Post) wants to completely wash their hands of sick leave,” said Dave Jackson, Victoria representative for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, parent union to UPCE.

The union broke off talks with Canada Post on Nov. 7 and the workers have been without a contract since Aug. 31. UPCE is keen to get back to the bargaining, Jackson said.

Christmas season is busy for Canada Post, he said, adding “a long strike this time of year will certainly have an impact on that.”

Canada Post disagrees.

UPCE employees perform mainly administrative and technical support for Canada Post. Since employees responsible for the collection and delivery of mail are CUPW members, mail delivery will not be affected, the corporation stated in a press release.

Canada Post spokesperson John Caines said the corporation presented an offer Nov. 16 to the chief union negotiator.

“We haven’t heard a thing back yet,” Caines said.

Speaking to the disputed item, he said the altered short-term disability program would fill some coverage gaps and provide better protection for employees.

“It will support them better during and (at the) beginning of any illness that they have,” Caines said.

raldous@vicnews.com