As members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) picketted across the country on Oct. 25, Cochrane members of the Rural Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) followed suit . The RSMC members fall within CUPW and are fighting to improve their employment conditions, including a contract so that they are paid for the hours they work and safer working conditions. “We want a contract – we’ve been without a contract for 10 months,” said Niki Latimer, who has been working for Canada Post for three years. “If we work 14 hours, we don’t get overtime.” “The parcel volume is insane, we need help with that. The injury rate is up five per cent higher than it should be.” But there’s one more reason the suburban workers were striking – RSMC members are fighting for fair, equal pay. For Sharon Coleman, who has worked for Canada Post for 29 years, it’s the first time she’s gone on strike. That’s because Coleman and Latimer, as well as other delivery agents working in rural areas, get paid 25 per cent less than their city counterparts. In a pay equity ruling in September, an arbitrator ruled that letter carriers make on average $61,463.33 annually, while the full-time equivalent for rural carriers is $41,170.30. In Cochrane, there are 14 RSMC routes, and they receive $21.21 per hour. However, letter carriers in larger municipalities, such as Calgary, receive $26.60 per hour. According to Emilie Tobin, a CUPW communications representative, RSMCs are paid by time values and not by the hour. “Arbitrator (Maureen) Flynn’s decision changes this but we don’t know yet the impact of this decision on RSMC working hours. Meaning, now that RSMCs should be getting an hourly rate, will Canada Post management start reducing their hours to make up for the extra money they need to pay them,” Tobin said. “RSMCs don’t have guaranteed minimum hours, which is something we’re fighting for in negotiations.” Tobin said the increase of online purchasing has increased the workload for the carriers.
