In RSMC’s longstanding fight for equality, one of our core demands has been to develop a new work measurement system. We have long sought a system similar to the letter carrier route measurement system, with adaptations for RSMC realities.

During this round of negotiations, we have met our goal.

In the past, RSMCs have been paid according to the Compensation Model. This is a per piece system that does not account for product volumes when determining pay. Instead, pay is based on points of call. If you have 100 points of call, your pay will be the same, whether there is 100 pieces of mail or no mail at all.

In contrast, the new hourly rate system will take into account product volumes and give time values to the work we perform.

 

Gains for RSMCs

This new system will come with important gains for RSMCs: 

In offices with 10 or more RSMC routes, there will be a formula to guarantee a minimum number of routes built to and maintained at a 40-hour weekly schedule.All other routes in the bargaining unit will be built to maximize 40-hour weekly schedules insofar as practicable.Rest and meal periods will be included in the assessed hours of the routes as applicable.Pay for assessed hours plus any additional hours worked dailyOvertime paid on a daily basisDouble time (2x) after 3rd hour of overtime on a regular dayDouble time (2x) on the 6th or 7th day of work in a week12-month pay protection following the 1st restructure to the new system, up to 8 hours per dayJob security provisions for all regular employees employed as of the signing of this collective agreement for the 1st restructure to the new systemAbility to ask for a route verification when the structured workload doesn’t reflect the time needed to perform the workProtections against management’s unilateral changes to time values.

Other Changes 

RSMCs will have an official start time.Routes may have a variable work week with a fixed schedule. This means there will be more hours scheduled some days than others while still maintaining a consistent daily and weekly schedule.Proper scanning of product in the PDT is required to ensure correct assessment of route.

New Work Content Explained

The new system will be called the RSMC Workload Measurement System (RSMC WMS). It will be based on the information included in the three reports outlined below. Each report explains specific element of the system and will be used together to build RSMC routes.

The Union was involved in drafting all the reports to ensure their contents accurately reflected RSMC work.

 

The Volume Report

Because system mail volume data is not universally available at the route level, each facility will have a two-pronged approach towards assessing volumes: 

Where route level volume data is available, it will be applied to the route.Where route level volume data is unavailable, facility level volumes will be distributed proportionately across all points of call serviced within that facility.

The last 52 weeks of mail, excluding the 4 full weeks in December, will be used. Routes will be updated annually, as is the case today.

 

The Time Values Report

This report contains the activities RSMCs perform on the job and the time values associated with those activities. These time values were either: 

Taken directly from the LCRMS;Taken from the LCRMS and adjusted for RSMC activities;Or newly developed for activities unique to RSMCs.

Some of these values will go through a validation process to be finalized. If the parties disagree on the results of the validation process, the disagreement will be sent to an independent arbitrator for a final decision.

 

Application Rules Report

This document outlines the rules that guide how the ‘RSMC-WMS Time Values’ and ‘RSMC-WMS Mail Volume’ interact to produce a workload assessment. It provides a sample route, from “obtain mail” to the end-of-day process.

 

When Will the New Work Content System be Implemented?

Representatives from Canada Post have provided a tentative timeline for the implementation of the New Work Content System: 

Subject to Collective Agreement ratification, the initial soft-launch of restructures under the new workload measurement system could begin in mid-2027.These soft-launch sites would involve a small number of medium-sized co-located suburban depots.Upon implementation, employees in the restructured depot(s) will convert to hourly pay and the corresponding terms of the collective agreement will apply.  The soft-launch depots will undergo a 3–4-month stabilization period.Following soft-launch stabilization, restructures under the new workload measurement system will be deployed starting in early 2028.Restructuring of all RSMC routes will take several years, with full conversion anticipated by 2032.

Tentative Agreement Information: https://www.cupw.ca/en/tentative-agreements

 

In solidarity,