CANADIAN LABOUR:
CUPW GOES FROM BOYCOTT TO ORGANIZE:



Last month the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) voted to end its almost 20 year old call for the public to boycott private postal outlets. If you are like 99.99% of the Canadian population your immediate question would be "what boycott ?". That says pretty much about the infinitesimal "success" of CUPW's campaign. Nowadays the actual Canada Post post office is a rare and endangered bird. To its credit CUPW has seen, even if only belatedly, that something just isn't working and given new conditions is even something of an absurdity . In that they are far superior to the average leftist organization.



The new reality is postal outlets in convenience stores and pharmacies, staffed by minimum wage workers, and CUPW sees an opportunity in this reality...to organize such low wage workers to better their condition. As an union with about 54,000 present members CUPW has resources for this even though the task is undoubtedly difficult for many reasons (small size of the workforce at each workplace, transience of employees, well practiced anti-union tactics of the chain stores,etc.). CUPW already has a small contingent of organized members (536) who are actually not connected to postal service at all, and in 2003 they managed to finalize their organization of about 6,000 rural and suburban mail carriers. This was difficult as said carriers were defined not as employees of Canada Post but as "contractors". It worked however.



One certainly wishes CUPW all the best in their new direction. It is certainly needed. One hopes that this also means drives to organize other workers in this sector such as couriers and other communications workers. Here's how CUPW put their new direction in their website.
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Private postal outlet boycott ends
– Campaign to organize private outlet workers begins


The National Executive Board (NEB) of CUPW unanimously voted in June to end the two-decade old boycott of private postal outlets and franchises.

The union believes this move is necessary for a variety of reasons.

Many communities do not have public post offices. They only have private outlets. It is very difficult for people to boycott private postal outlets and franchises when it is the only service they have.

Also, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the union to organize workers at private outlets if we continue the boycott. These workers are not likely to want to join a union that wants to put them out of work.

The union's decision to end the boycott does not mean we support the privatization of postal services

But private postal outlets are a reality. And allowing the employees who work in these outlets to make less than us does not help us.

Organizing will help us

As you know, the union’s main job is to negotiate collective agreements for its members. Most members expect the union to negotiate better wages and working conditions. Most employers resist union efforts to make improvements. Canada Post, for example, constantly compares our members’ wages and working conditions to the less favourable wages and working conditions of similar workers.

During negotiations, management negotiators say “You don’t need an increase or a break. You’re already doing better than most workers.” Or they say, “We'd like to contract out because it’s cheaper.” But if we raise the wages and working conditions of workers who are employed at franchises and private postal outlets, we will be able to eliminate the comparisons that hurt us at the bargaining table and we will also take away Canada Post’s incentive to contract out.

In short, organizing is the right thing to do and it is also the best way to protect members.

CUPW is currently organizing franchise workers in Montreal and elsewhere.

CANADIAN LABOUR-PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE:

PORTAGE POSTIES PROTEST PUBLIC PULL-OUT:

Postal workers in Portage la Prairie Manitoba, a small city about 50 kms west of Winnipeg, are protesting the recent decision by Canada Post to reduce public service at the main office in Portage. As the following from Portage On-Line makes plain this will not save Canada Post any money, but it is definitely in line with the long standing desire of the Federal Conservatives to destroy Canada Post, however much inconvenience that may cost smaller communities. Or, of course, is could be simply an example of "management muscle-flexing" whereby managers, who are usually as useful as tits on a boar, try to justify their existence by making a change, any change whatsoever whether it makes sense or not. Truly wise managers realize the futility of their work existence and cruise through to retirement while doing as little as possible and letting those who know the job get on with it. The Portage posties are represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).

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Postal Workers Union Upset With Service Cutback
The recent decision by Canada Post to reduce the hours of its "Call For" services at Portage's main post office isn't sitting well with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

Todd Jarema, regional union representative for all CUPW offices in Manitoba, says they've been told the move is to bring the service in line with other offices around the province, but notes the union sees it instead as a blatant service cutback.

Jarema notes the folks who had been handling the "Call For" service will still be working in the building during those hours, so closing the wicket is of no real financial benefit to Canada Post.

He adds rural customers and business people who can't make it to the main post office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. no longer have the opportunity to get parcels, registered letters or C.O.D. items after hours.

Jarema says CUPW has put together a mailer for affected customers, asking Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Hoeppner to try and reverse Canada Post's decision.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

HELP SAVE POSTAL WORKERS' BARGAINING RIGHTS:

The following appeal for solidarity is for our American readers. From the AFL-CIO Blog.

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Take Action Today to Save Bargaining Rights for Postal Workers:
by Mike Hall, Aug 3, 2009
An amendment to a short-term financial assistance bill for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) would destroy collective bargaining between the USPS and its unions. The Postal Workers (APWU) and the Letter Carriers (NALC) are mobilizing to defeat the amended bill (S. 1507) when it comes to a vote before the full Senate later this week.

APWU President William Burrus warns that if the bill passes as written,
"it will destroy collective bargaining for postal workers."

Click here to visit APWU’s website and to send a message to your senators.





The amendment to the financial relief bill was approved late last week by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. NALC President Fredric Rolando says it is “disappointing” that Congress
"would interfere with postal collective bargaining and seek to put a thumb on the scale in favor of postal management in the next round of bargaining. "





The amendment would require arbitrators ruling on postal contracts to take into account the financial health of the USPS. Under current law, arbitrators must consider the “comparability” of postal wages to employees in the private sector who perform similar work. Says Burrus:
"In fact, arbitrators routinely consider the Postal Service’s financial status as part of the context of negotiations. However, to attach this specific requirement to the law leaves workers at a severe disadvantage.





By singling out this one factor, the amended bill would give the Postal Service’s short-term financial conditions supremacy over all other relevant considerations. It will make the bargaining process subject to all-out manipulation. "





Both unions support a House version of a financial relief bill for the USPS, H.R. 22, that does not interfere with the bargaining process. For more information on both bills, click here.
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THE LETTER:
If you are a US resident please go to THIS LINK to send the following message to your Senator.
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Required text:
(This text will be included in your message)
I urge you to oppose the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009 (S. 1507). An amendment to the bill, offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and adopted by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, would require arbitrators to take the financial health of the Postal Service into account when ruling on postal workers’ contracts. Under current law, arbitrators must consider the “comparability” of postal wages to employees in the private sector who perform similar work.




The provision renders the bill unacceptable to postal workers, because it interferes with our collective bargaining process. Arbitrators routinely consider the Postal Service’s financial status as part of the context in which negotiations are conducted. However, attaching this specific requirement to the law leaves workers at a severe disadvantage, and makes the bargaining process subject to manipulation.




S. 1507 was intended to provide short-term financial relief to the cash-strapped Postal Service, a goal I support. However, the Coburn amendment makes the bill unacceptable.