Usually the cuts start at the top. The workers are the workers following marching orders.
Starts at the very top, and down they go to a certain level.
After that...everyone gets in line to the new direction...or they're out.
Canada Post - Huge losses
- Thread starter raginduck
- Start date
Starts at the very top, and down they go to a certain level.
After that...everyone gets in line to the new direction...or they're out.
My regular guy said that they recently brought in some big guns from mgmt. in the US to redo their system (read: fire a bunch of middle mgmt. dead wood). Said it went from a PITA to Flaming Bag of Poo.
sburns
Well-known member
Unless what @BigEvilDoer is saying comes true, meaning management is pushing for privatization, then they will save their own skin at the expense of the little guy who will be pushed out. Then hit the rest button and hire new people.
That's a very dangerous game. I don't think many people consider CP a pinnacle of efficiency and profitability. While management may hope for a benevolent corporate overlord, I suspect that after a brief period of knowledge transfer they would all be thrown overboard.
Sorry but in my experience when we got taken over…top level gets the axe immediately. Mid level gets it after some time passes, and lowest level only the idiots get tossed.
Then we got shut down anyway, but the top levels were gone within a few weeks of acquisition.
Remember, the direction, focus, and leadership isn’t coming from the bottom. It’s from the top.
If new management comes in, and mid/high management doesn’t toe the new line…lower level won’t either.
These companies are buying an asset that is expected to perform…they’re not dumb.
As a driver? When I was there 5 years ago I started as part time-casual. I was told it would probably be 2 years until part time-permanent and 7 years to full time.
Yeah, senior position.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
From what I’ve seen, the challenges are highly interlocked between labour and management.
I think management has proven they can do things if allowed, Purolator is a good example. CPC execs run Purolator, they are profitable. Most important Puros workforce productivity is competitive, gives the business a fighting chance.
Some of that depends on definition of management. CP seems to have a ton of fat in the middle. Maybe the executive is competent (although I have my doubts) but there needs to be far fewer employees to move their volume.
So who runs CP, a federal corporation?
The Prime Minister selects a cabinet of like minded thinkers who won't stab him in the back. The cabinet selects the next in command from their allies etc. How many of the problematic managers are connected and will not end up needing go-fund-me.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
When companies are privatized, management feels the first swings of the axe. It’s done that way on purpose. Unless there are department ir facilities closures, the rank and file are safe for a while.
First to go are non revenue support. Marketing communications, finance, and assistant managers of anything.
Reports that the union has dropped their wage demands...no other demands dropped yet, but the first signs are showing of the union cracking.
My personal opinion...they overplayed their hand and now the Christmas rush isn't going to happen as everyone else ramped up to take on the load.
My personal opinion...they overplayed their hand and now the Christmas rush isn't going to happen as everyone else ramped up to take on the load.
Lowered not dropped. Now 19% instead of 24%. You can't look at one item in isolation though. Cp is ****** that union wants to bring everyone under their umbrella including current contract services like janitors. At least it seems like a negotiation instead of complete obstinance from both sides.
Edit:
Imo, the way arbitration is handled is a big obstacle to negotiations. If they end up at arbitration, the starting point is the last offer each submitted. That sets up both sides to give as little as possible if they think arbitration is possible. I think the starting point should be different. Maybe the initial positions? Maybe no positions and arbitrator is the benevolent dictator free to make wholesale changes?
Last edited:
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
There were several other things that the union offered as well for cost savings measures.
The local I belong to is rather upset about 1 potential concession involving overtime hours.
Basically, CPC was taking away sections of walks from route owners if this route is regularly into overtime. The route owners usually don’t want pieces taken, as it’s removing their overtime hours. A relief letter carrier or a casual would take that piece. This is because CPC doesn’t believe overtime is necessary on any of their routes, even if they’re grossly mis-measured.
The postie would file a grievance for x.xx hours of overtime, and due to the old bargaining agreement, get paid.
So, CPC was taking away overtime, which still gets paid out, and paid another carrier to deliver. So, 2.5x cost. But, it removes the “Cause of all Evil” overtime costs… it simply transfers to another spreadsheet - grievance claims.
So, they were patting themselves on the back for getting rid of overtime hours despite increasing costs.
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
The whole janitor thing is a giant red herring / distraction from CP to the media.
That’s an item that’s sooooooo far down the list it’s pretty much inconsequential, but CP is latching on to that like a baby on a titty and milking it for all it’s worth.
I'm not surprised, the important part of my post was that without seeing the entire package, nobody can draw useful conclusions. There's something in there about cost-of-living allowance too so I wonder if the reduced wage demand was met by increased COL so it's a shell game. Maybe, maybe not, not enough info for those outside to see if any real progress is happening or just shuffling of bad hands by both sides. You obviously have far more insight into the positions than I do from outside.
No different than my work force. We hire consultants by the hundreds because it’s ‘cheaper’.
It’s 2.X the cost of a full time employee…without the benefits, vacation, or pension obligations.
Hence why it’s done on our end.
sburns
Well-known member
Sounds about right for CPC
Last I heard at the new plant they didn't want to pay casuals 4 hours, and reduced their hours to a 3.45 hour shift. Yup something like that so they didn't even have time for a 15 min break or be paid for it.
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
It’s not only casuals. A bunch of the clerks in Guelph have 3.75 hour shifts in the morning for precisely the same reason. Start at 5am, done at 8:45am. Posties start at 9am.
The only reason I’m in Guelph is because the restructured my old route (went from 25 hours/week to 17 hours/week) and I couldn’t make the numbers (even with my side hustles) work anymore. Transferred to a full time position. This depot has the worst reputation in the area west of Milton. It’s basically a meat grinder of new posties. The management is toxic, threatens us with interviews, suspensions and possible termination every week. Due to this, several of posties themselves have become toxic - the whole “crabs in a bucket” thing. Throw others under the bus to keep eyes off of them.
I've got something stuck in the purolator mess. I've been giving the shipper crap. Ordered Nov 25, status earlier today was still waiting to ship and shipper said holdup was purolator. Update an hour ago has shipping label created and submitted Dec 5. Weird. Now I have a tracking number but Purolator hasn't picked it up almost a week after it was submitted. I assume that since I can now see a tracking number that things are starting to move. Or maybe not. We'll see. Ideally I get it by friday but I'm not holding my breath.
