With the Pay Equity decision, RSMCs were no longer a “competitive advantage” and we had concerns about contracting out and layoffs. We also had concerns about other CPC projects such as sequenced mail that could result in layoffs.
Article 23 of the RSMC Collective Agreement, which expired on December 31, 2017, only provided recall rights for 12 months, with 2 weeks notice of lay-off, and the laid off employee could use their seniority to obtain a vacant route only in the original installation. This was not protection!!
New Job Security Protection – Article 23
Currently, about 6000 Route Holders and Permanent Relief Employees are now protected from lay-off. Everyone else will enter into this protection as they achieve their 5th year of continuous employment with Canada Post.
This means, should there be more employees in an installation than routes or PRE positions, the most junior person in the installation will be declared surplus. The surplus employee may be required to accept a comparable vacant route or position within a 75 km radius of her or his former installation. Until this happens, they may be required to work on various routes for daily relief assignments on routes within a 50 km radius of their former installation.
There are several provisions for each scenario with protections for seniority, vehicle protection (should the route assigned require a different type and size vehicle) and the right to return should a route become available in his or her former location, should they have been required to accept another route within a 75 km radius.
Should there be no vacant routes or PRE positions within the 75 km radius, the surplus employee would continue to receive their pay for either the full year of protection, or until a route or position becomes available.
The new language also introduces the concept of routes over or under 30 hours/week, and an RSMC cannot be forced permanently onto a route that is not comparable to their former route or position.
Should they be assigned to a route that is not comparable, they will receive either the higher of the value of the route or position of the work being performed, or the value of the route or position held prior to being declared surplus.
For daily relief assignments, the employee will be paid the higher of the value of the route or position of the work being performed, or the value of the route or position held prior to being declared surplus.
Outside the 50/75 Km Radius
Should the surplus employee choose to apply for a vacant route or PRE position outside of the maximum 75 km radius, they would be awarded that route, and the Corporate relocation policy would apply to provide assistance with the cost of the move.
The Corporation could also, after consultation with the Union, offer a departure incentive by seniority to the employees within the postal installation where the surplus was declared.
An employee who refuses the assignments shall be laid-off and their name placed on a recall list.
Recall Rights
The amended Article 23 still has the recall rights provision. After the 12 month period of guaranteed pay (unless you refuse daily assignments or a permanent route or position), the surplus employee will be laid off and their name will then be placed on the recall list for a vacant route in their former postal installation. The recall list remains in effect for 12 months.
While this protection is not as absolute as Article 53 of the Urban Bargaining Unit, it is still a step forward for RSMCs!
Still More To Achieve
While we know that this is a step in the right direction for RSMCs; we still have a long way to go to achieve true equality!
In Solidarity,