December 11, 2008
UPCE STRIKE – Day 25
NOVA SCOTIA
Halifax – At 4 p.m. yesterday, Wednesday, the lines were held and no one was let in or out of the Halifax plant for an hour. Spirits were good on the lines today, as management was scrambling.
Sydney – Lines were held this morning, with no one allowed in or out. Police were called and the strike captain negotiated holding the lines for the morning, so the police left and no one was let in or out until noon.
Antigonish – Lines were strong despite rain and freezing rain.
NEW BRUNSWICK
Fredericton – Mike Moeller, RVP for UPCE Atlantic was on the line this morning. A meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. today with CUPW and UPCE executives.
The employer was warned today that relay trucks would not be held up too long as long as we didn't catch them lying. Well sure enough, they lied, so the members had to punish them and doubled their time in the queue. If they do it again, the members will have to wash their mouths with soap.
Saint John – When our report was written yesterday, the cops were arriving on the scene, so the saga continues in this report. Four police cars showed up and the sergeant asked our strike captain to get into his car so they could come to some sort of agreement. Well, (our new hero) the Saint John strike captain said, “no, you come to my office, which is the picket line.” Of course you remember the heavy rain and wind of yesterday … well our strike captain stood with her back to the rain so the sergeant had the rain (which was coming sideways) in his face and within minutes, he was drenched. Our strike captain kept him in that rain for a half hour (he wasn't very pleased) and no more police officers came back after that. Our members kept holding the line even longer!
Moncton – We had a little bit of fun as it was our strike captain's birthday and we surprised her with a birthday cake. We've been holding the line longer (about an hour or so) and management hasn't really caught on (it's been too cold and wet).
ST. JOHN'S
Picket lines went up at 6:30 a.m. There was some confusion due to the court injunction as the employees were unsure as to how to approach the picket line. We did not speak to the employees (CUPW) until they edged their way through. We IDed them and let them know that we were still on strike. The court injunction took a little wind from the members but they remained strong and united. They are getting more creative and have some good plans for future picketing.
We delayed some trucks going to the airport and returning to the plant. Picket lines came down at 8:30 a.m. and members spent the rest of the day writing post cards. They received 10,000 post cards yesterday and they expect to have 3,000 - 5,000 completed today and put in the mail stream. There were reports from inside workers that the plant is crawling with management and employees from other locations (Halifax, and other locations from Newfoundland).
MONTREAL
Members in Montreal were busy with CUPW members in front of the building at 555 McArthur. More details tomorrow.
QUEBEC CITY
Yesterday, members set a line up at the Hugues-Randin depot just in time for the return of the mail pick-up. Six police officers were watching 35 strikers. Today saw another picket line in front of the Hugues-Randin depot and, because of the brutal cold, the members had to keep the line very tight.
NCR
Lines are up again today! A group of members spontaneously showed up at the Ottawa Airport last night and only four trucks would go through. Even the cold weather and the OC Transpo strike couldn't stop members from getting to their lines. They showed up in Orleans, on Parkdale and faithfully at the Alta Vista plant, as well as at HQ. The employer wanted to play games this morning but the members were not in the mood. We told them that this is our strike and we would decide our strategy. They were trying to force us to close down the plant.
There is a mobile blood donor clinic scheduled for this Friday December 12 from 9-12:30 at the Ottawa Mail Processing Plant (OMPP). Moya may be trying to suck the blood out of our members but they still have enough left to share a pint with their community. Also members are collecting loonies and donations of non-perishable food items for the Ottawa Food Bank at the OMPP.
TORONTO
The lines are up at South Central, UMO, Gateway and Stony Creek.
Lines also went up at West Beaver Creek, Station K (Yonge and Eglinton) Don Mills Depot (169 The Don Way) and Mississauga Delivery Centre (Matherson).
The police were called at 169 The Don Way after Canada Post instructed their drivers to park the mail trucks on the Cadillac Fairview construction site. The police told Cadillac Fairview that if they allowed Canada Post to use their site then their property could be legally picketed. Cadillac Fairview has since stopped Canada Post from using their property.
Lines have been up at the Delivery Centre for the last 36 hours and since the lines went up no mail has been delivered there. When trucks arrive at the picket line they refuse to line up and return to Gateway. The police have been called a few times by Canada Post, but when the police visited the site there were no concerns.
On December 10, 2008, the Willowdale 2 and 3 stations were impacted by a surprise picket line, preventing any mail from making it out. The lines at Burlington caused quite a lot of media attention yesterday.
LONDON
Windsor CAW and UPCE were out to hit the truck traffic. We surprised them at 4:15 this morning. A manager was called in because of our arrival. He yelled, intimidated, bullied and demanded that we let the truck through that we had already delayed for and hour and a half, not to mention the backed-up vehicles that were trying to get in. He called the cops. When are they going to learn we seem to benefit every single time the cops come out? In the end we delayed the truck for over two and a half hours. We had two radio stations come out, three cops and other unions. It was awesome and the mail was absolutely paralyzed in Windsor. There is still a five-hour wait time in Windsor. We are eight superwomen!
Cambridge – The London Flying squad hit that depot today.
Kitchener – Lines were up from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
London MP – Picket lines were up from 4:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.
WINNIPEG
Today is officially hot soup and crazy hat day in Winnipeg. Anything for a little fun in the bitter cold. Members are holding the line and are still causing havoc with the delivery of the mail. This is still OUR LINE!
SASKATOON
We are very encouraged by the display of support from PSAC members and other unions this week. It has been bitterly cold but our members have persevered. Our line will be up this evening in Saskatoon at a surprise location. CUPW members as well as other SFL affiliates and PSAC members will be out in full force. Management has taken a hard line with our pickets; reports are that they are even doing the deliveries themselves. Our members have resolved to harden the lines accordingly.
REGINA
Morale remains strong here in Regina. We had a member who needed accommodation for the last couple days – working hard on the customer service lines, writing letters and postcards to ALL MPs, and requesting meetings with MPs from the members' ridings. This member received an email from CPAA (representing rural postal workers); they are wearing black whenever meeting with CPC in support of UPCE. They are signing the petition and are concerned about their upcoming negotiations. Many of the CPAA members are checking out the calculator on the PSAC website and are shocked at the results.
CPAA members tell us that when they question management about the UPCE strike, management avoids the question and in fact want to avoid the whole topic of the strike and short term disability. This morning one aggressive semi driver wanted to beat our members to the gate so that he wouldn't be greeted by our members and as a result he hit a letter carrier's van.
Thanks for the coffee this morning and thanks to CEIU Local 40811 for their donation! Members continue to send support to the team.
CALGARY
Picketing continues and spirits are high with very strong support. We are anxiously awaiting a report from the bargaining team.
EDMONTON
It was status quo in Edmonton today, except that we were picketing at three different locations – that seemed to put management into a spin. It appears that they have had a lot of meetings to try and keep ahead of us, but they aren't having much luck. There will be more surprises tomorrow. The line remains strong and committed.
VANCOUVER
UPCE members are picketing the Canada Post main post office downtown, and today we are going to picket the Manulife offices downtown. Members are concerned that there is no new information from the negotiations, but are happy to hear that we are still at the bargaining table.
VICTORIA
While en route to the CPAA office in Sooke, west of Victoria, to hand out postcards, a few UPCE members stopped off for a surprise visit at Depot 4 in Langford. Management there was taken off guard.
Date Modified : 2010/07/29
