Purolator bargaining update: employer fails to make meaningful wage offer, conciliation next

The Union team met with the employer October 19 and 20 in Vancouver. Your bargaining team was seeking financial parity with all other unionized employees who work for the company and Purolator chose not to meet that minimum request. The team strongly believes that the monetary proposal falls well short of that provided to other unionized workers at Purolator.

Talks broke off early Saturday afternoon as the company indicated they will apply for conciliation. This means that neutral third party assistance will be available to help the company and union at the next set of negotiations.

Purolator management made a paltry improvement on their last wage proposal: a 0% wage increase for 2018, 1% for 2019, 1% for 2020, increases of 1% in January 2021 and 1% in July 2021 with the same biannual increase of 1% in 2022. This proposal puts workers behind the cost of living and particularly for those who live in larger urban centres it does not even keep pace with rental increases.

Further, the company is proposing a two tiered wage grid. This means new employees will have to  progress through a different wage grid and it will take them longer to reach the top level even though they are doing the same work.

On benefits – the company proposes annual caps for both physiotherapy and registered massage therapist visits each to $1,200 per employee and dependents, with orthotic and medical devices to be capped to $450 annually.     

The current Long Term Disability plan is based on 60% of earnings monthly with an income cap of $1,200. This remains below poverty levels. This means that once you have exhausted the short term disability plan, if you were still unable to return to work, you would have to rely on a total monthly income of $1,200, less taxes. The LTD plan as it is currently has a cap that can in some cases reduce members to below poverty income, as the benefit can end up being less than 50% income replacement.

The bargaining team continues to hold that fair wages, parity with other unionized Purolator employees, decent benefits, and the removal of the arbitrary cap on the Long Term Disability plan are worth fighting for.

We will provide you with additional information as it becomes available – stay tuned.

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team