RSMC Pay Equity Implementation Update!

The Pay Equity Implementation Committee has been meeting with Canada Post representatives to establish timelines for the payment of the retroactive amounts owing to RSMCs. These payments will be made in lump sum amounts.

Wage Increase: On January 1, 2019, the activity values, on a going forward basis, will be adjusted to reflect the letter carrier hourly rate of pay, which is currently a maximum of $26.60 (depending on the years of continuous service).

Retroactive Wages: Retroactive wages, back to January 1, 2016 will be paid out during the spring and summer of 2019. The date of the payout has yet to be confirmed. Further information to follow.

Glove Allowance: The glove allowance of $20 per year for those who were employed on October 1^st of 2016, 2017 and 2018 will be paid at the end of November 2018.

Annual Leave: Route holders and PREs who achieve their 7, 8, 9 or 14^th year of continuous service after 2016 will receive a payout for their retroactive annual leave entitlement. The payout will be based on the weekly actual wage on December 31^st of the applicable year. The payout will be made at the end of February 2019 (pay period 4).

Pre-retirement Leave: Canada Post will send a letter to RSMCs who qualify for Pre-retirement leave asking if they want to be paid out for the retro leave or take the leave at a future time. (For the conditions of pre-retirement leave see 19.12 of the CUPW Urban Collective Agreement.) The date of the payout has yet to be confirmed. Further information to follow.

Other Benefits to be Paid by the end of February 2019

Isolated Post Allowance: An equal share to employees who worked in those offices listed in Appendix H in the Urban Operations collective agreement, for any period of time during the retro period.

BC Medical Services Plan premiums: This will not be paid equally, as payment depends on the length of time the employee was eligible and living in British Columbia.

Other Paid Leaves: An equal share of the value of all of these leaves, based on the urban operations usage, will be paid equally to all RSMCs.

Benefits For Which Payment Dates Have Yet to be Identified

After the summer of 2019 the following will be paid:

• Rest period allowance: A payment the letter carriers receive daily because they get 10-minute coffee breaks instead of 15 minutes. This will be retroactive back to January 1, 2016.
• Personal Contact Items (PCI): The difference between the $1.00 per PCI to the new value.
• Retro admail (Neighbourhood Mail): 0.8 cents per piece for all admail delivered (based upon your number of complete sets) from January 1, 2016 to January 15, 2018.

Retro Deductions

Some of the benefits that were awarded in the pay equity decision will require retroactive deductions for premiums or contributions. These deductions will coincide with a retro payment.

• The retro premiums for the long-term disability plan (LTD) will be deducted. All route holders and permanent relief employees are covered, retroactively to January 1, 2016, under the same LTD plan as the Urban Operations employees.
• Retro contributions to the Canada Post pension plan based on the wage increases and possibly PCIs and lock changes (subject to regulatory approval).

Retro Union Dues: Dues are only calculated on the retroactive wage increase. The amount deducted is based on 1.71% of the difference in wages between the old monthly wage component and the new monthly wage component. The maximum dues currently for RSMCs is $79.35 per month. In most cases, Local assessments, if any, are not impacted.

Some Issues Left To Resolve

Your Pay Equity Implementation Committee will continue to work on resolving the outstanding issues. This is a very complex process and we are working hard to get the payments made as quickly and accurately as possible.

**For the CUPW Urban Collective Agreement see: https://www.cupw.ca/sites/default/files/urban-ja-31-2018-ca-web-en.pdf

Solidarity!