Canada Post Pay Equity
Letter from PSAC National President on Canada Post Pay Equity Settlement
October 11, 2012
To all Sisters and Brothers awaiting their pay equity from Canada Post:
I am writing with another update on our long struggle to get Canada Post to pay up on pay equity.
Let’s be clear, you have all waited too long to get your pay equity monies.
Canada Post has been trying to avoid paying this money for nearly 30 years. As you know, PSAC took the case all the way to the Supreme Court and we won.
But since the Supreme Court ruled last November, Canada Post continues to argue about how much money you are owed. We’ve been at the table with them trying to work out the details of the payments, but we’ve been unable to come to an agreement. That’s because Canada Post is claiming that they only have to pay interest on 80% of the amount of money owing to members.
The PSAC does not agree. Our legal opinion is clear, there is nothing in the Income Tax Act that would enable Canada Post to discount the interest by 20%. We think they should pay our members and former members what they are owed in full. You deserve as much, and your union will continue to fight for what you are owed.
For that reason, PSAC is now moving forward with legal proceedings to ensure that Canada Post pays you every penny you are owed as soon as possible.
In the meantime, we sure hope that Canada Post is doing the necessary work to get ready to cut the pay equity cheques. It’s important to remember that neither the Supreme Court of Canada nor the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal calculated the exact amount of money owed to each affected individual. They suggested the methodology, but the final amount will depend on each individual’s work history, their CR level, the dates worked and any paid leaves and acting levels, among other factors. Canada Post will have to collect data and calculate payments for over 10,000 individual employee files dating back to 1982.
This is a huge task and it falls on Canada Post. The more staff involved in this process now, the faster cheques will get into the hands of eligible members and retirees.
I hope this information helps clarify the reasons for what must seem like an endless delay in getting your pay equity. I encourage you to let Canada Post know that you are tired of waiting and that you want what is owed to you, in full. You deserve no less.
In Solidarity,
Robyn Benson
National President
Date Modified : 2012/10/10
