Cost of Living Crisis
Thursday March 28 2024
2023-2027/086
No 14
Over the past few years, the cost of living has skyrocketed and inflation has hit 40-year highs. The price of our most basic needs – groceries, housing, fuel – have seen the biggest jumps. As workers struggle to live paycheque to paycheque, executives, banks and the rest of the 1% get richer.
Workers did not cause the runaway inflation we’ve dealt with, so workers should not be forced to fix it. It is not on us to sacrifice our living standards in the name of market competitiveness or profit. As is usual at bargaining time, Canada Post is crying poor. But they are not alone in dealing with rising costs and worrying about the future; while we have had some Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) protection, hourly rates and our best years for our pensions have fallen far behind, and we need to be made whole.
Significant Wage Increases
The Negotiators sent a loud message to Canada Post last week about our demand to make up for all the wages & buying power we have lost since 2021. Our wages need to keep up with inflation. Both Urban and RSMC committees demanded a 12.65% increase in the first year, and 4.5% in the second. Because we have not yet decided on the length of the collective agreement, we only made demands for two years. We will present further wage demands once we know more about the length of the agreement.
Closing the Pay Gap
The two-tier wage system in the Urban Unit came about after the Conservative government illegally stripped us of our right to strike in 2011. The starting wage for new hires and temporary workers is far too low. With fewer or no guaranteed income or hours, newer workers simply cannot get by on the low wages Canada Post pays. Canada Post’s low wage strategy is not acceptable.
We cannot let this group of workers be a “competitive advantage.” Our demand is to remove the lowest two (2) increments in the Urban wage charts and raise the starting rate up from 75% to 85% of the top rate.
This would bring the Urban wage charts level with the RSMC wage chart. For the RSMC Unit, we demanded the OCREs be able to move up the pay scale in the same way that Urban temporary workers can.
RSMC Hourly Rate
We have been clear with the Employer throughout this round of bargaining: RSMCs need to move to an hourly rate and be compensated at an appropriate rate like Urban members.
Groups 3 and 4 Wage Adjustment
For Groups 3 and 4, our demand is for a $1.50 trades market adjustment for all classifications to take effect before the first-year general wage increase percentage is applied to the hourly rate.
Our Turn
Across this country, unions are winning bigger wage gains than we’ve seen in decades, but getting the raises we deserve won’t come easy. We will need to be organized and dedicated. We need to keep doing the work to build our collective power. The negotiators need your help and voices on every work floor telling the boss these are your demands. Get active, stay informed, and stay united!
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In Solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President