Mood:  not sure

The postal union(CUPW)and Canada Post(CPC)have taken a break from negotiations for Christmas.

One of the major issues, "unused sick time", has yet to be addressed. With an aging work force getting ready to retire, sick time has become a difficult problem confronting management. Under the present system, posties either use their sick time before leaving or lose it at retirement.

To handle this issue for the benefit of everyone concerned, I sent Deborah Bourque(National CUPW President)this letter:

"If management wishes to take away sick time accumulated, it should be done at fifty cents on the dollar. This has been negotiated with other unions and various government departments. The nurses, teachers and Ontario Civil Service come to mind.

I would suggest that this buyout should not be mandatory. 

• Such a buyout could be a retirement incentive for workers with thirty years of service or more. It would be a saving for Canada Post because CUPW members wouldn't be tempted to use their sick time excessively in their remaining years.
• Other CUPW members could take advantage of this buyout too if Canada Post wanted to move to an "illness insurance program". However, this program would be voluntary and not mandatory.
• The present sick leave program would continue in place, but new employees might be under a new insurance program with incentives and bonuses where they would accumulate "lieu days" during the year. (Lieu days are those that can be used as sick days or annual leave days)
• All time and attendance programs must be dropped if management wants union agreement on these issues.

It's status quo on the sick leave unless management pays the piper to those who have accumulated many days of sick leave and deserve to be rewarded for doing so.

Postal Workers should be treated with respect and not like children.

Payment for sick leave should be part of longevity pay and profit sharing. It would replace the old "severance package" on retirement."

http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/1165/la_id/1.htm (CUPW/CPC Negotiations)