Earlier this month, PSAC and its component union UPCE announced that we would head into early negotiations with Canada Post Corporation to reach a new collective agreement before the current one expires in August 2020.

Both parties agreed to enter into this process by submitting a “short list” of six non-contentious issues to be discussed at the negotiating table, including wage increases.

In order to select the six key issues, PSAC-UPCE reviewed members’ bargaining input, outstanding issues from the last round, audited the collective agreement, and reviewed emerging issues from the implementation of the collective agreement over the past couple of years.

During bargaining sessions held from January 27 to 29, the following issues were tabled by the union, and are currently the subject of discussions with Canada Post:

1. Term Employment / Conversion to Indeterminate Status – Article 2.01 (y)
   The union seeks improvements to current term conversion provisions in the collective agreement in order to allow more term employees to become permanent.

2. Health Care, Hospital Insurance and Dental Plan – Article 37
   The union seeks improvements to existing health care benefits (including paramedical, vision, dental) to increase the amount and frequency of benefits for all members.

3. Bereavement leave – Article 42.02
   The union seeks improvements to this article through:
   a. expanding the definition of family and
   b. increasing the period of bereavement leave with pay
    
4. Personal Leave – Article 42.11
   The union seeks to make improvements to this article by increasing personal days from 7 to 10 days and removing the requirement to use personal days before family responsibility leave can be used.

5. Short Term Disability Program (STDP) – Article 43
   The union seeks to make improvements to the STDP, especially as it related to appeals process and the related timelines.

6. General Economic Increases – Rates of Pay
   The union seeks fair wage increases for the duration of the renewed collective agreement.

The union also indicated its desire to discuss the status of surplus employees.

The bargaining team is now waiting for a response to the counter proposal we presented on January 29, which is expected over the next few days. The parties have a total of 20 days to reach a tentative agreement and a further 10 days to finalize language changes, if required.

It is important to reiterate that any tentative agreement reached through this process of negotiations will be subject to a democratic ratification process by the members. If the two parties do not reach an early tentative agreement, PSAC-UPCE will proceed to the normal bargaining process, including the Bargaining Conference.

Your PSAC-UPCE bargaining team will provide further updates as they become available.