Friends and comrades,
In this week’s Dispatch, we are covering some contract updates, two arbitration decisions regarding multiple days of mail and uncovered letter carrier routes, education opportunities, and upcoming committee meetings.
First, I would like to give a shoutout to We Together Community Strong for completing their 6th annual Project Heart donation drive and distribution. To see a video about the Valentine’s Day distribution, click HERE.
Second, I would like to draw attention to the survey from the Social Committee. If you haven’t filled that out yet, you can do so HERE and help the Committee decide what events to plan this year!
Solidarity,
Kyle Turner, Communications Officer
Find CUPW Local 730 on social media:TikTok | Instagram | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook
Contract Updates
We are still waiting to hear when the votes for the Collective Agreement will be happening, but for the most up-to-date information, please visit our National website at www.cupw.ca. On that note, there have been a number of amendments made to past bulletins. To see those amended bulletins, click HERE.
Arbitration Decisions: Multiple Days of Mail and Uncovered Routes
We’ve received some correspondence from our Regional office about two regular arbitration decisions that have come out of the Central and Toronto regions regarding multiple days of mail and uncovered routes. Based on these decisions, even though they are not formal, it is important that we file grievances when our routes go uncovered because we will eventually win and be compensated fairly.
In the 02/14/25 decision from Arbitrator Marcotte, Marcotte agreed with prior similar decisions that Article 17.04 contains mandatory language that requires the Corporation to cover uncovered letter carrier routes.
In the 01/22/26 decision from Arbitrator Nyman, Nyman upheld the grievance that argued letter carriers should be compensated at straight time for additional work as a result of uncovered routes. Nyman provided three ways for the Corporation to compensate carriers: 1) use the LCRMS to calculated the amount of time required to perform the additional work and pay the carrier at the applicable straight time rate; 2) pay the carrier at the applicable straight time rate for the actual amount of time required to complete the route or section; and 3) when applicable, restoring the carrier’s leave credits.
Education Opportunities
There are a number of courses still accepting applications, but we have also added a number of new courses and seminars.
- Pension Seminar: This course touches on all the moving parts of pensionable service and will aid you in choosing your optimal retirement date. Deadline to apply is February 27th. For more information, click HERE.
- SFL/CLC Spring School: Courses available include Reconciliation in Action; Mental Health in the Workplace; Member Engagement, Member Action; Labour Community Advocate; and Parliamentary Procedure/Public Speaking. Deadline to apply through the Local office is February 27th. For more information, click HERE.
- Labour Law Online – The Progressive Discipline Seminar: Learn how to tackle everyday discipline cases with skill and confidence from the labour lawyer who presented this seminar to thousands of union and employer representatives across Canada for 30 years. Because of the specialized and intensive nature of this training, applications will only be considered from current Executive members, Worker Advocates, or Lead Stewards actively involved in arbitration. For more information, click HERE.
- Union Education Program: CUPW is accepting applications for the next cohort of its Union Education Program, designed to develop knowledge and skills for union activists. Deadline to apply is April 1st, 2026. For more information, click HERE.
- Labour College: Application for the CLC’s flagship trade union leadership development program is still open. Deadline to apply is March 2nd, 2026. For more information, click HERE.
Upcoming Committee Meetings
- Social Committee: Wednesday, February 18th at 7 pm via Zoom. For more information, click HERE.
- Temporary Workers’ Rights Committee: Tuesday, February 24th at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, click HERE.
Reminders
- Staying Connected: Sign up for the text service or email list HERE.
- Special Assessment: The Local’s Special Assessment is suspended for the fiscal year (July 2025-June 2026), but will return in July 2026. So you should see a decrease in dues payments by slightly less than $15/month.
- 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/.
- Buy Union: Looking for a list of union-made goods and services? Click HERE.