As you may be aware, in April 2022, the Pacific Region filed a Formal Policy grievance regarding improper staffing actions for Group 2 Letter Carriers in our Region. Leading up to the filing of the grievance, Canada Post had increasingly and routinely refused to cover all uncovered letter carrier routes on a daily basis.
Canada Post’s failure to cover letter carrier routes is a violation of Article 17.04 of the Urban Collective
Agreement which outlines the requirements of Canada Post to staff all routes every day, taking all necessary measures. Failing to cover all routes on a daily basis is not only a violation of the Collective Agreement, it also goes against the Postal Service Charter, put in place by the Canadian Government.
As a result of these constant violations of Article 17.04, Canada Post began moving Relief Letter Carriers
from their routes and forcing them onto routes that were previously left uncovered in the days prior. This
movement of RLCs was the Union’s second main position of the Policy Grievance. The movement was a
violation as Canada Post was unilaterally redefining the language in Article 52.01(f) to include uncovered
routes.
While Canada Post denied this was the process they were following, the evidence at arbitration suggested differently. The Arbitration lasted 5 days, starting in November and ending in December 2023. On Friday March 8, 2024, the parties received the final decision from Arbitrator Vince Ready, confirming the Union’s position and upholding the grievance. Arbitrator Ready’s decision includes these three main declarations:
- “Article17.04 is a mandatory clause that requires the Employer to cover all uncovered routes unless one of the exceptional circumstances expressly set out in Article
17.04 arises. Absent these exceptional circumstances, the Employer does not have the discretion to not cover the uncovered route.” - “When there are climatic conditions or darkness which could adversely affect the employee concerned or the proper delivery of mail, pursuant to Article 17.05(c), the Employer is required to consult with the Local before deviating from the procedures set out in Article 17.04.”
- “The Employer is not permitted to unilaterally deem an uncovered route as a “priority assignment” under Article 52.01(f) in order to move a relief letter carrier from their assignment to cover the uncovered route.”
Currently there are several hundred grievances waiting to be heard in the Regular Arbitration process
regarding uncovered routes and the subsequent violations. The Union will be relying on this decision to
argue those grievances. Local executives, shop stewards and members need to ensure their local
management is following the Collective Agreement, which is supported by this decision, and file grievances when the employer fails to cover all Letter Carrier routes, every day.
In Solidarity,
Wes McIntosh
Regional Grievance Officer