Friends and comrades,
In this week's Dispatch, we will be covering the first two days of the Industrial Inquiry Commission hearings, the February GMM, the Special GMM, the upcoming Executive elections, and the re-scheduled Regional educational.
Solidarity,
Kyle Turner, Communications Officer
Industrial Inquiry Commission Hearings
The first two days of the Industrial Inquiry Commission are now finished. For a summary of day one, which included our union presenting its two, five, and ten-year vision for Canada Post, as well as the need for weekend delivery but not at the cost of good jobs. The Corporation gave four presentations that covered Canada Post finances, the postal market, operations, and the future of Canada Post.
When asked about what Canada Post would do in order to reach negotiated collective agreements and avoid an impasse in May, Corporate representatives "ducked and dodged" when it came to answering the question and continued to stress the need for flexibility. To read the full bulletin about day one, click
HERE.
Day two provided a chance for rebuttals for the presentations made on day one. Our union pointed out a number of issues with the Corporation's presentations, including how a part of the losses the Corporation reported from 2018-2023 includes paying hundreds of millions in dollars to settle its past violations of pay equity laws; how labour costs are not the problem in Canada Post's budget, as it are non-labour costs that have gone up to over $800-million; and how the Corporation talked about its commitment to health and safety despite having the second highest frequency of disabling injuries in the federal sector. To read the full bulletin about day two, click
HERE.
The next hearing days are currently scheduled for February 19th and 20th. The Commission will be accepting statements from the public, stakeholders, and interested parties. Submissions are due by February 14th, 2025, and our union is encouraging all members to email Commissioner Kaplan to let them know what matters to them and what the future of the public post office looks like.
February GMM
Our next GMM is
Saturday, February 1st at
10 am. It is a hybrid meeting, so you can attend in person (18121 107 Ave NW) or online via Zoom. If you wish to attend online, the deadline to register is
Friday, January 31st at
noon. For more information, including the agenda, and to register to attend online, click
HERE.
Special GMM
We are also having a Special GMM following the next GMM, scheduled for
Saturday, February 1st at
12:30 pm. This is also a hybrid meeting, so you can attend online via Zoom or in person. If you wish to attend online, the deadline to register is
Saturday, February 1st at
noon. For more information, including the agenda, and to register to attend online, click
HERE.
Upcoming Executive Elections
The following Executive positions are quickly coming up for election: Secretary-Treasurer, Grievance Officer, 1st Vice-President (Organizing), 3rd Vice-President (Collections and Delivery), and 5th Vice-President (Garage, Maintenance, Registration, and Wickets). For a full description of these positions, you can read them in the Local By-Laws
HERE.
These positions are for 3-year terms and to be eligible for nomination for these positions, you must have attended 50% of the general membership meetings in the prior year and you must be nominated by a Member in Good Standing.
Nominations must be submitted to the Local Office (18121 107 Ave NW) by Friday, February 28th, 2025, at 5 pm. Voting will occur and results will be announced on Saturday, April 5th, 2025. Dates for advanced polls are forthcoming.
To see the full poster and the nomination form, click
HERE.
Regional Educational
The dates for the postponed Regional Fall educational have now been set and it will be happening in Edmonton at the Holiday Inn Express from March 27th to 30th, 2025. Deadline to apply is
February 6th. For course information and a digital application, click
HERE.
Reminders
- Strike Relief Fund Merch: For more information, see prior Dispatch HERE.
- Upcoming Education Committee Meeting: January 31st at 6 pm via Zoom. Click HERE for more information.
- GoFundMe for Member of Edmonton Local: To donate or share, click HERE.
- Community Resources Information Sheet: For a list of community resources, click HERE.
- Teamsters Canada Rail Petition: To read and sign this petition, click HERE.
- Union Education Program: Deadline is March 1st, 2025, for information and to apply, click HERE.
- Disability Supports: To access the Disability Supports portal, which provides a list of programs and services in your community, click HERE.
- Union Savings: To take part in these savings, you can register at unionsavings.ca/