Our negotiated Cost of Living Allowance will take effect once again to help members deal with inflation.
Please find below a brief explanation of the unresolved national grievance on the COLA language in our collective agreement under clause 33.06.
National Grievance
Please note, the information below is subject to change should we win our National Grievance (N00-22-R0005). In dispute is the date of the base month for the calculations of COLA amounts owed. Canada Post Corporation has confirmed that it will pay the COLA payments as below, calculated in accordance with their position on the base month.
Amounts
The COLA is reviewed and paid quarterly, if required. The quarter in question is October to December 2022.
In CPC’s view, the base month for the RSMC COLA in the contract renewal is December 2021. The December 2022 CPI was 144, so the adjusted index for comparison is 151.7.
The CPI was 153.1 in December, exceeding the adjusted index by 1.4. The COLA will equal 1.0125% of all activity values paid for the quarter.
Sample Calculation
A route holder’s regular pay during the quarter should equal $29.76 x 520 hours. At 1.0125%, the Cost of Living Allowance for the quarter would be $156.69.
The payments will be paid as a lump sum on your March 2, 2023 pay.
In Solidarity,
Carl Girouard
National Grievance Officer