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Sisters/Brothers:
Negotiations are
underway and there’s a lot of discussion and
information right now in the social media
regarding pay equity. I believe we need to
provide you with an update on this important
issue for the bargaining unit.
I would first like to remind you that at
the start of this first round of
negotiations with the right to strike, we
put forward the following theme. “Time for
Fairness, Respect and Progress.” This means
that fairness is central to our Program of
Demands, which states:
“The 2012
negotiations represent a historic
opportunity to negotiate real parity between
RSMCs and urban postal workers. For decades
RSMCs have performed work which requires
equivalent skill, effort and responsibility.
Now, the time has come to obtain equal pay
and the same benefits and working conditions
as other postal workers. Now it’s time for
fairness, respect and progress.”
The Program of Demands adopted by RSMC
members reflects the Union’s intent.
TO ACHIEVE EQUITY, WE HAVE OPTED FOR
NEGOTIATIONS.
When we organized the RSMCs in 2003, the
Union was fully aware of the wages and
working conditions of our rural sisters and
brothers. It also knew that 70% of the unit
was made up of women. The Union later
decided that the best way to achieve
equality and respect was through collective
bargaining, not a complaint under Section 11
of the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Time proved us right, since we’ve made
gains and have considerably reduced the gap
between the rural and urban units during the
life of the eight (8)-year collective
agreement negotiated in 2003. It’s important
to remember that RSMCs have only been part
of CUPW since January 2004. This first
collective agreement enabled us to increase
the wages and improve the working conditions
of all RSMCs across the country, regardless
of their work location. We must continue to
build on these gains in this round of
negotiations.
The fact sheets we’ve produced explain
the gains we’ve made, which can be seen
daily in the workplace.
A LONG WAY TO GO
We know we still have a long way to go.
And we have to go down that road together.
In the current context, we are convinced
that a complaint before the Canadian Human
Rights Commission will not allow us to
achieve the same results as collective
bargaining. We must take advantage of the
fact that we can now negotiate with the
right to strike to force the employer to
negotiate wage parity.
The Union has always favoured
negotiations, where there is a balance of
power between workers and employers. We use
legal avenues when we have no other choice.
Filing a complaint at this time would lead
to a lengthy legal battle where the outcome
is far from certain. We would much rather
rely on our collective strength and our
bargaining power. The employer is aware it
must take action on this issue. Direct
negotiations allow us to maintain and
increase pressure on Canada Post.
First things first, as the saying goes.
Now is the time to use our collective
strength to force the employer to negotiate
wage parity seriously. We must build on what
we’ve achieved together in recent years.
WE HAVE TO FIGHT TOGETHER, IN SOLIDARITY
We have a program of demands that takes
into account the RSMCs’ overall working
conditions and wages. Our negotiating
committee has been at work for more than
seven months defending our demands with
strength and determination. We have to
continue supporting them each and every day.
And we have 54,000 rural and urban
members willing to show their solidarity
through action. We must trust in ourselves.
We will win this battle through unity.
