Arbitrator MacPherson awarded the Urban and RSMC bargaining units the same wage increases as follows:
· 2018: 2.0%
· 2019: 2.0%
· 2020: 2.5%
· 2021: 2.9%
The RSMC increases are effective January 1st of each year and the Urban increases are effective February 1st of each year as these are the effective dates of the collective agreements. The duration of each agreement is 4 years.
Arbitrator’s Explanations
Arbitrator MacPherson provided the following explanations for her decision:
· She stated that the 2% in each of the first two years is consistent with CPC’s final offer in November 2018.
· The increase of 2.5% in the third year compensated the Urban bargaining unit for the 0.5% wage increase that was lost in 2011 when the Conservative back-to-work legislation imposed a wage increase that was less than CPC had previously offered.
· The 2.9% increase in the fourth year represented her best effort to predict the likely average wage increase for the federally regulated private sector in 2021.
She concluded by expressing the view that the parties would not have settled for less than these amounts had they been left to their own devices in the autumn of 2018.
Arbitrator MacPherson rejected CUPW’s demand for a 30 cent bump up for Groups 3 and 4 because CPC is not having difficulty recruiting candidates for Group 3 and 4 positions.
She also rejected CUPW’s demand on the wage scale for Urban employees hired on or after February 1, 2013 on the basis it would significantly increase costs.
CPC’s Schedule for Retroactive Payments
· August 6, 2020: Urban unit to receive retroactive payments for 2020.
· August 6, 2020: Rest Period Allowance (RPA) retroactive payments date for 2020, for both bargaining units.
· August 20, 2020: RSMC unit to receive retroactive payments for 2020.
· September 3, 2020: Urban unit to receive retroactive payments for 2019. Both units will receive RPA retroactive payments for 2019.
· September 17, 2020: RSMC unit to receive retroactive payments for 2018 and 2019. Both units will receive RPA retroactive payments for 2018.
· October 1, 2020: Urban unit to receive retroactive payments for 2018.
CPC has informed the Union that the new hourly rate for 2020 will start on the following dates:
· RSMC: August 20, 2020
· Urban: August 6, 2020
CUPW has expressed to management our dissatisfaction with the extremely long period of time before members receive the wages to which they are entitled. Had the Corporation negotiated, instead of relying on legislation and arbitration, postal workers would have received their wage increases long ago.
In Solidarity,
Carl Girouard
National Grievance Officer