Group 2 Staffing and Work Patterns: What Does the Employer Want?

In their initial presentations, Canada Post has proposed major changes to Group 2 staffing rules, overtime, and work patterns. According to the Corporation’s presentations, one goal of these changes is to introduce “Dynamic Routing.” Dynamic Routing uses software to adjust delivery routes depending on mail volumes, distances, and workloads.

Following the last round of bargaining, a Dynamic Routing model was piloted with Union involvement in the Champlain Depot in Montreal. Canada Post has not told us if what was piloted would look anything like what they want to introduce nationally. While the Employer’s proposal is short on many details, we can give an outline of some of its main points:

• Variable Work Week: CPC wants to keep carriers on a 40-hour work week. But instead of a stable, 5-day/8-hour schedule, CPC wants to shift schedules according to volumes. This means a carrier might work 8.5 hours Monday but shorter shifts the rest of the week. The proposed model would move volumes from one route to another daily. Carriers would not get paid overtime until after working over their scheduled hours.

• No Route Ownership: Under CPC’s proposed model, carriers would no longer bid on a specific route but a schedule, that is, a general area, start time or wave. Carriers’ daily work tasks and order of delivery would change according to the calculations of the routing software.

• “Permanent Flexible Employees”:
  The Corporation wants to create a new function within the letter carrier classification called Permanent Flexible Employees (PFEs). PFEs would be scheduled a minimum of 3 hours per day but would have to stay 8 hours if work was available.

PFEs would mainly take excess volumes from full-time carriers. One of the Employer’s biggest goals is to minimize overtime by forcing part-time employees to work at straight time. This proposal would mean more part-time work within the group.

• Covering Absences: Canada Post wants to change the order of solicitation under Clause 17.04 to be able to call in temporary employees before offering overtime to full-time carriers. For CPC, this is a cost-saving measure. 

• Inside Work: CPC wants to create a new function within the PO-4 Classification called “Delivery Support.” This function would combine the current LCA and Router functions, moving that work from Group 2 to Group 1 where no time value is given to the work.

From our early discussions, the Employer wants a major restructuring of letter carrier work. The Corporation has yet to share many details about what Dynamic Routing would look like on the ground.

But one thing is clear: If we want to succeed in addressing the issues carriers have faced far too long, the Negotiators will need your full support.

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In Solidarity,