Canada Post Strike Looming

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by Super Dipper

some mail might go out by scab workers. A guess would be that essential first class mail will only go out, with the help of mgmt, but that will be about it.


Also keep in mind, that if this drags on, we will be legislated back to work, as we are deemed an essential service.

I really hope they can get their shit together and come up with a contract. I have the luxury of being a single guy with very few expenses and bills and i can survive, but our employees with families and mortgages cant afford this.

Along with that, the public needs to have the mail service continue without delay. You guys need your mail, packages, parts, gifts, connections and whatnot and it doesnt need to be held up due to political squabble.

Doesn't bother me one bite I have all my bills to E-Bill and I can view them online anytime I want. Also most of my packages are from UPS, Fedix and I haven't order anything recently so doesn't bother me as much.

I think most people would have their billing switch to E-mail by now or at elast view them online. I hate getting so much mail before. Such a waste of paper.

[b92]

will mail still be delivered? I have a few things I should have mailed out before the strike...

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

yo, learn how to use multi-quote.

No. Learn how to use the scroll wheel or ignore button. I'm not post whoring, I respond to each person with a good response that won't get lost in a long messy post.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by ImportXxX

just so you know not all of the employees gets 45k to 50k a year..For that, these guys have a lot of seniority. There's a lot of partimers in there that only work 4 to 5 hours a day.

Fair enough, yet even more reason why these employees shouldn't let the union strike over $$$.

The average wage is ~$23/hr according to the reports, so that would be ~$45K/yr.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by Mr.HappySilp

Doesn't bother me one bite I have all my bills to E-Bill and I can view them online anytime I want. Also most of my packages are from UPS, Fedix and I haven't order anything recently so doesn't bother me as much.

I think most people would have their billing switch to E-mail by now or at elast view them online. I hate getting so much mail before. Such a waste of paper.

What you said is important for for a reason maybe the union doesn't realize:

There's an adage in business: Once business is lost it is very hard to get it back. For CPC, hard is probably impossible.

For example: I still get some of my bills via mail cause I'm lazy and haven't switched them to online billing - and I'm willing to bet there's lots of people in similar situations. These companies will know their bills go out via the mail and probably start a campaign to contact us and switch us to electronic billing.

Once that happens, I'll essentially get no mail and have no reason to get mail from then on.

Or look at it from a business perspective:

If the strike goes more than a couple days they will have to switch carriers. Once they switch they may build a new business relationship and possibly not switch back once the strike is over.

---

Summary: striking for money is possibly the dumbest thing the union could do, it will only hurt them going forward. They may secure more money, yet at a cost of job security as layoffs will be needed if volumes continue to decline. I'd personally take the CPC's offer of job security.

[freelunch]

Please dont strike!! I've got my new cellphone and some other stuff coming through the mail

[IMASA]

Damn, just got notified that my CP-E fuel pump is shipping tomorrow via USPS. Any more details about the strike, any change it will be adverted? Else I gotta phone them up and ship to Blaine.

[Vette Dood]

Originally Posted by taylor192

For example: I still get some of my bills via mail cause I'm lazy and haven't switched them to online billing - and I'm willing to bet there's lots of people in similar situations. These companies will know their bills go out via the mail and probably start a campaign to contact us and switch us to electronic billing.

Its begun -

I got an email from Rogers last night saying I have to pay them whether I receive my bill during the strike or not, and that I should sign up for an e-bill.

[Nightwalker]

I get most of my bills by mail.

Glad I saw this thread, I had no idea this might be happening.

[Super Dipper]

latest contract offer just came out.

http://www.infopost.ca/en/files/2011...cessions-e.pdf

honestly its a good offer and if the union doesnt accept, they are a bunch of idiots. That is strictly my opinion, but it seems to be the general consensus that is floating around the station i work at.

[Not really racist!]

^ thats pretty good IMO

[suprasian]

i agree dipper that looks like a decent contract. i think the union has until midnight eastern time to accept the contract before the rotating strike begins. although im still hoping CP reconsidors there idea of modernization as a 2 bundle delivery system makes no sense and is not safe at all. btw dipper what station do you work at? im at F

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by Super Dipper

latest contract offer just came out.

http://www.infopost.ca/en/files/2011...cessions-e.pdf

honestly its a good offer and if the union doesnt accept, they are a bunch of idiots. That is strictly my opinion, but it seems to be the general consensus that is floating around the station i work at.

That is a good offer, and agree they should take it.

Yet ... if the union accepts it they are throwing new employees under the bus, exactly what they said they didn't want to do. Maybe not as far under the bus, yet still new employees take the majority of the concessions.

If short term disability goes to binding arbitration I suspect the union will have the CPC offer forced on them as its becoming the standard. I honestly don't see the issue unless you're an employee milking sick days as vacation time... which was a huge problem in CPC as little as 5 years ago.

[TheKingdom2000]

Whoa Deepak Chopra is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada Post?
That's news to me

[taylor192]

Union declined, strikes start tonight.

SuperDipper, I'm assuming the union members didn't vote on this, that the union heads are calling the shots... perhaps its time to allow employees to opt out of the union.

[StylinRed]

why is that? the union is defending its existence and in a sense future employees

why would they accept something that means their end?

[darkfroggy]

It's kind of amazing how contradictory unions have become.

Originally they were started to defend the rights of "common workers" - those that were the grunts and enjoyed no special privileges or relationships.

Now, they have morphed into the very thing they are supposed to resist. New members / low-level employees are constantly shoved under the rug in an attempt to preserve the "old boys' club". Forget about workers' rights -- you won't have a job to enjoy them.

Look at the BCTF. Loads of people that want to teach, but can't because the union demands higher wages for their existing members. You get a heavily inefficient system where you end up with overpaid, incompetent teachers. Seniority > Merit.

[Super Dipper]

Originally Posted by suprasian

i agree dipper that looks like a decent contract. i think the union has until midnight eastern time to accept the contract before the rotating strike begins. although im still hoping CP reconsidors there idea of modernization as a 2 bundle delivery system makes no sense and is not safe at all. btw dipper what station do you work at? im at F

The 2 bundle system isnt practical and wont make delivery any easier.

Im at station 10 in Victoria, BC.

Im a RLC that primarily does bag runs, late shuttles and usually 1/3 of a walk. on rare occasions, ill do a full walk, but being one of the few carriers in my station that holds a valid VOP and a valid RHD VOP, im more flexible in the jobs and i can do that and aids in my adaptability to the daily jobs of a RLC

[Graeme S]

Originally Posted by darkfroggy

It's kind of amazing how contradictory unions have become.

Originally they were started to defend the rights of "common workers" - those that were the grunts and enjoyed no special privileges or relationships.

Now, they have morphed into the very thing they are supposed to resist. New members / low-level employees are constantly shoved under the rug in an attempt to preserve the "old boys' club". Forget about workers' rights -- you won't have a job to enjoy them.

Look at the BCTF. Loads of people that want to teach, but can't because the union demands higher wages for their existing members. You get a heavily inefficient system where you end up with overpaid, incompetent teachers. Seniority > Merit.

Not entirely disagreeing, but with rare exception it's hard to judge a teacher's merit. Some teachers work well with some students, others don't. If we just go based on test scores, then the teachers who do the most drilling will get the best results and best pay, but drilling constantly doesn't always make the best teacher.

It's a tough deal for that kind of thing.

[Super Dipper]

Originally Posted by taylor192

Union declined, strikes start tonight.

SuperDipper, I'm assuming the union members didn't vote on this, that the union heads are calling the shots... perhaps its time to allow employees to opt out of the union.

Not entirely sure if the members voted on it or not. Im still on vacation, but i did wander out to some of the routes today and talk to other carriers and they have been kept in the dark about a lot of stuff going on behind closed doors.

This latest off that came out around 5pm our time was voted on and rejected, which is absurd.

All the demands have been pretty much met. The wage hike for new employees is acceptable. I was opposed to it when it was initially proposed at 16/hr. Not sure if that info was released to the media or not, be internal info to employees exposed this. So now they have gone up $3/hr to $19? Ya, thats more than fair. I started at $21/hr, whats $2/hr? and if the wage is topped up in a few years to what everyone else is making? bonus.

The hold off on the STDP is huge and they should take it without thinking twice. When it goes to arbitration, i know full well the arbitrator will side with CPC, so withholding the implementation until it can be readdressed is the best option.

The strike starts at midnight tonight. Its a revolving strike in the country meaning certain city will have blackout periods for mail process and delivery. Winnipeg will be the first city and then its anyones guess where they will go. My hunch will be they will travel east.

If anything else pops up thats not in the news, ill pass it along.

Jas.

[darkfroggy]

Originally Posted by Graeme S

Not entirely disagreeing, but with rare exception it's hard to judge a teacher's merit. Some teachers work well with some students, others don't. If we just go based on test scores, then the teachers who do the most drilling will get the best results and best pay, but drilling constantly doesn't always make the best teacher.

It's a tough deal for that kind of thing.

It's really apparent if a teacher is actually trying / caring about the students.

I had teachers that would waltz out of the classroom right when the buzzer ringed. They didn't leave any contact email/phone number, and didn't stay to answer student questions. The teacher would just read off a prepared list of notes and call it a day. Yet, you cannot fire them at all because they are minimally performing their duties. At a private sector job, you would be fired for underperforming.

The ones that stay behind to answer questions, give detentions (shocking), answer emails/phone calls, contact student/parents when he/she sees a problem brewing... these are teachers that care. These teachers are willing to meet at lunch/morning/afternoon to ensure that their students are learning well.

Competent teachers should be paid well, I agree with this. However, the union operates on a system of seniority and not merit. It is exceedingly hard to get rid of a teacher that reads off the book and expresses a willing desire to leave the classroom at the buzzer.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Let the union strike for all they want. I am sure the union members will ran out of savings to use then at that point offer them a contract with less pay, less benfits and no union lol.

[suprasian]

it looks as though hamilton will be striking on monday so service will still continue around here. members have not taken any votes yet. my guess is when a contract is deemed acceptable by the union heads, then the members will vote.

[TheKingdom2000]

Can someone clarify, for a rotational strike how does it work.
so if it starts in Winnipeg and it goes east to Ontario, so does all of ontario no get their mail? And once it goes to Ontario does Winnipeg go back to work?
Then from Ontario it goes to Quebec, so Quebec doesn't get their mail and Ontario goes back to work and Winnipeg (Manitoba) is still at work?

Is that how it works? i'm confused.

[K-Dub]

Next city is Hamilton.