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‘TECH’ CHANGE = STAFF REDUCTIONS

Dear Sisters and Brothers, 

The National Union has received a notice from the employer regarding the reduction of staff.  The Article 29:03 B notice (TECH CHANGE) affects South Central LPP, Adelaide Postal Station, Hamilton and Montreal. 

At South Central the employer will be introducing new equipment.  This equipment will sequence letter mail for the Adelaide Station. (This will sort routes without the benefit of clerks).  By sequencing the mail they expect you to resequence your life. 

The employer has notified the Union of their intention to delete 88 full time PO L 4 and 40 part time PO L 4 positions from South Central LPP as a result of these changes which takes effect in July 2012. 

At Adelaide Station there are 56 full time letter carriers and 4 part time. Effective October 2010 CPC will be reducing the full time complement leaving 33 full time letter carriers and 4.5 relief letter carriers. 

The union will be meeting with the employer on January 29/10 at 1:00 p.m. to discuss their proposal at South Central LPP and their rational.  We will be holding work floor meetings and will keep the membership informed. 

At the Gateway Plant the union has received a staffing profile which contained an elimination of 147 day shift positions. When the union meet with the employer to try and understand their rational we could only find that it was irrational.  As a result, the union has set up a staffing committee to prepare a counter proposal and a fight back campaign. 

It is ironic that in the 29:03 notice from the corporation they state “The health and safety of our employees is at the forefront of our investment plans as we create modern, ergonomically friendly workplaces.”  Yet, 29.02 states “In carrying out technological changes, the Corporation agrees to eliminate all injustices to or adverse effects on employees and any denial of their contractual or legal rights which might result from such changes.”  One must ask why is the employer trying to implement changes to our staffing profile at this time?  Is it so the staffing profile is already in place prior to any technological change thus voiding article 29.02’s impact?  

Also, the Union wonders if that means more money in corporate coffers for Manual life case workers to harass all the newly injured workers and workers utilizing their contractually fought for and earned sick leave.  What impact will this alleged new ergonomically friendly equipment have on our bodies? 

The reality on the work floor is the deletion of jobs, fewer workers on the MLOCR’s (optical readers) and constant work observations.  

Remember Sisters and Brothers that as the struggle continues it’s up to all of us to voice our opinions and fight against unfair and unreasonable changes and demands with every fiber of our being.  An injury to one is an injury to all. 

In solidarity, 

JANE MARSH                       JOANNE LEADER               MEGAN WHITFIELD         

President                                 2^nd Vice-President                   Chief Shop Steward