babble is rabble.ca's discussion board but it's much more than that: it's an online community for folks who just won't shut up. It's a place to tell each other — and the world — what's up with our work and campaigns.
Support rabble | Advertise with us | Contact our staff | About rabble | Log-in or Register for a new account | Corrections | Privacy policy | Newsfeeds | Mailing lists
rabble: Features | Columnists | In Cahoots | Blogs | Books | Photos | What's Up | Polls
babble: Forum Topics | Active Topics
The rpn: About the RPN | Become a podcaster
rabbleTV: Program Guide | Features | Indie Inside | Best of the net
Copyright © 2001-2013 the authors
Syndicate
I have not posted here in years. I am a CUPW member, most of my recent internet usage has been on facebook, following CUPW groups and/or watching CPAC, between picket duty.I do follow rabble religiously, though. I was curious as i was involved in the CUPW struggles of 1987 and 1991, and remember our fightbacks against the Mulroney government. I also know a bit of history of my great union. Yesterday before our final picket party to celebrate our solidarity, i decided to google who was prime minister in 1965 when our union was formed from a management run association at the time. I didn't double check my facts for lack of time, but this is what i posted on facebook. At least i and a few others found it interesting."
Today i was pondering my 30 year career at Canada Post. Our nastiest times were the strikes of 1987 and 1991, and this year's lockout. The Prime minister's for those years were conservatives, Brian Mulroney and Stephen Harper, its like whence in power attack CUPW,known as an anti establishment socialist style union.I also went back in history to the roots of my union CUPW 1965. Twas a very good year- Lester Pearson (lib) had a minority government, with the help of the NDP(ccf) and social credit parties, came the advent of the autopact,Canada pension plan, socialized medicine, the Canadian flag was adopted and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the former Letter carriers union of Canada were formed and won the right to strike. 2011, Conservative government, no more autopact, healthcare in crises, Canada pension plan in crises, and collective bargaining rights destroyed. perhaps 2015 can be like 1965 if we want it bad enough."
btw NDP Joe Comartin made it back to town to attend our rally and speak to our members,kudos
ps i posted this in the filibuster babble then the moderator shut down the topic.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers plans to take Canada Post to court to challenge the federal government's legislation forcing its members back to work.
The back-to-work legislation was passed into law Sunday, and mail began to be delivered Tuesday.
The union says it won't defy the law, and mail delivery will continue, but it will challenge the legislation in court, arguing in part that it discriminates against new employees.
The union's national executive made the decision at a meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday to decide on action.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/06/29/postal-union-court.html
Thanks for the input. It's all so clear now.
@Caissa
The comments under the story you linked to are disturbing. I'd like to think they are Conservative plants posting them, but it is shocking nonetheless. All of the comments exhibit a thorough misunderstanding of the greater implications of union bashing.
I agree noaradical. I find the comments quite disturbing whether on CBC, torstar, Globe and so on. Notice that people say the same thing, like they got talking points (conbots), and also same user names. It's aweful.
Amen!
And please accept our best wishes and solidarity in your ongoing struggle -
Continuons le combat!
July 13, 2011 - 08:30
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Bulletin
Negotiations Bulletin no. 80
Following the end of the national lockout, postal workers were confronted with a huge backlog of mail. Rather than taking the necessary steps to ensure the prompt restoration of delivery, CPC management took a retaliatory approach and denied workers the opportunity to provide service to the public. Nationally, we have seen an arbitrary application of overtime and extension of hours, contrary to the established practice prior to the lockout. In many locations, management has been more interested in creating division among the workforce than it has in providing good postal service. This unilateral refusal of management to devote sufficient resources, has resulted in CPC violating the standards established in the Canadian Postal Service Charter.
Quote: Tomorrow, July 14, 2011, the National Negotiating Committee will meet with legal counsel to begin the process of preparing for the arbitration, which was imposed upon us as part of the unjust back-to-work legislation. Despite the unjust nature of the legislation, we will make every effort to ensure that the positions of the union are thoroughly presented to the arbitrator. We will deploy all of necessary resources, including using the services of consultants and experts, to represent the interests of postal workers.....
http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm?ci_id=13466&la_id=1
July 22, 2011 - 17:05
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Letter
BY FAX AND MAIL
JUL 22 2011
Mr. Mark MacDonell
Chief Negotiator
Canada Post Corporation
2701 Riverside Drive
Ottawa, ON KlA OB1
Fax: 613-734-7128
Mr. Denis Lemelin
National President I Chief Negotiator
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
377 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 1Y3
Fax: 613-563-7861
Dear Sirs:
Collective bargaining dispute between Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (Urban Postal Operations Unit) - Appointment of an arbitrator pursuant to the Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act
Pursuant to section 8 of the Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act (the 'Act'), I wish to advise you that the Honourable Justice Coulter Arthur Anthony Osborne has been appointed to hear and decide the outstanding issues in the above-cited dispute.
Mr. Justice Osborne will contact the parties to schedule the dates and place of hearing. The parties will be responsible to provide him with all information and documents needed to deal with this matter.
According to section 17 of the Act, all costs incurred by Her Majesty in right of Canada relating to the appointment of the arbitrator and the performance of the arbitrator's duties are debts due to Her Majesty in right of Canada and may be recovered as such, in equal parts from the employer and the union.
Yours sincerely,
The Honourable Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P.
c.c. The Honourable Justice Coulter Arthur Anthony Osborne
http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm?ci_id=13494&la_id=1
Totally predictable. Instead of naming a real labour arbitrator - i.e., someone they can't trust - they name some judge with zero background in labour law, mediation, etc. This is bad news.
I have seen this playbook before and it always ends badly for the union. It adds insult to injury to make the union pay for the costs of this executioner.
Who use three first names except pompous assholes?
This man was appointed as Integrity Commissioner by the Harris government in 2001. He may not have any labour credentials but he sure has Conservative ones.
August 30, 2011 - 13:15
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Bulletin
Negotiations Bulletin no. 86
In the media and in parliament Canada Post management and Conservative politicians made all sorts of claims to justify the passage of back-to-work legislation. As seen below, some even claimed that CPC was losing hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, with the publication of CPC financial data, we can test the accuracy of their statements.
What was said to justify the legislation“Had we seen the same amount of movement before the beginning of strikes, we would have been in a much better position to reach a deal. However, after incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, we are even in a worse position to pay for all of the demands.”
Deepak Chopra. CPC President and CEO and Jacques Côté CPC Chief Operating Officer: Open letter to employees, June 23, 2011
“There were rotating strikes that were causing huge problems for the corporation and costing hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Hon. Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport): House of Commons Debates, June 23, 2011
“Canada Post estimates that it is losing $25 million per day during this work stoppage.”
Ms. Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice: House of Commons Debates, June 23, 2011
“Before the lockout, Canada Post was losing, I understand, about $22 million to $24 million a day. After the lockout, Canada Post was losing approximately half of that, $10 million to $12 million a day at present…”
Hon. Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport): Appearing before the Senate, June 26, 2011
The Truth: $35 million loss between April 2, 2011 and July 2, 2011
CUPW began rotating strikes on June 3, 2011. During the next 12 days approximately 50% of the public was directly impacted, usually for one day. On June 15, 2011 CPC imposed a full-scale national lockout that lasted until June 27th.
CPC is now required to release a financial statement every three months. The figures reveal that the Corporation did not lose anything close to the hundreds of millions of dollars claimed by Chopra, Côté, Fletcher and Findlay.
For the thirteen weeks which include the entire strike/lockout period the Canada Post segment (not including Purolator and other subsidiaries) experienced an after tax loss of $35 million. Compared to the same period in 2010 costs were reduced by $52 million and revenues decreased by $108 million.
The numbers also show us that CUPW’s job action strategy was right on target. Just as intended, our rotating strikes put a pinch on Canada Post’s revenues without harming the public or threatening Canada Post’s future viability. But instead of responding to the pressure by taking negotiations more seriously, CPC fabricated dollar figures to bring about government action.
Canada Post Corporation Profitable in 2011The CPC Quarterly Report also reveals that Canada Post Corporation (including Purolator and other subsidiaries) is on the way for another profitable year in 2011. For the first six months of 2011 the Corporation has reported an after tax profit of $3 million. Usually the last six months of the year account for the majority of CPC’s profits. All signs indicate that 2011 may yet be a very profitable year despite the financial impact of the national full-scale lock-out initiated by Canada Post management.
When Parliament resumes this September, we will be raising this issue of misinformation with the Honourable Members of the House of Commons and the Senate.
In solidarity,
Denis Lemelin
National President and Chief Negotiator
How do you tell when a Conservative is lying?
Their lips move!
In Solidarity!
September 20, 2011 - 15:45
Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Bulletin
Negotiations Bulletin no. 87
After a short delay, due to the need for the Union to obtain new legal counsel, the final offer selection interest arbitration for the CUPW Urban Operations Bargaining Unit at Canada Post Corporation has commenced.
Following conference calls and a meeting with Judge Osborne the union has submitted a request to CPC for the information it will need to ensure that the components of its “final offer” are in accordance with the mandate of the arbitrator as established in the back – to – work legislation....
http://www.cupw.ca/newsletter.cfm?n=97A8E70B-E400-BE88-A2E668AA90C39B81&...
..here's a full update on where things are at after the legislation.
http://www.cupw.ca/client_asset/rss/1/2/2/6/6/rss_1.xml
- Toronto Star
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt has appointed a new arbitrator with ties to the Conservatives to settle a contract between Canada Post and its 48,000 postal workers.
Raitt has named Guy Dufort, a retired labour lawyer who ran twice for the Conservatives, to replace retired Ontario judge Coulter Osborne, who quit last November after the union went to court to challenge his appointment.
A Federal Court judge later sided with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, arguing that the arbitrator should be bilingual. Dufort is bilingual and has offices in both Montreal and Ottawa.....
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1146322--canada-post-lisa-raitt-...
... and CUPW challenged the second appointment in court - and now the Federal Court has turfed Dufort!
Third time a charm, Ms. Raitt? Try again.
ETA: Meh, Caissa scooped me by 8 minutes in another thread.
And by the way, you know that pay equity case that turfed Tory Dufort worked on? Canada Post still hasn't paid out a red cent. PSAC put out that press release at the end of May...nothing has changed.
My guess is that the union is probably going to have to go back to court to get the Supreme Court's order enforced.
Doesn't matter. I don't mail and I don't know many people that do.
I know my bank sends nothing via the post office unless they have no choice. Ditto my kid's schools - I get an email notice that their bills are due [that's the only thing I actually physically send is his school fees and that goes via courier - strikes aside I don't trust the post office].