On May 31st, Arbitrator Flynn found Canada Post Corporation liable for failing to provide pay equity for thousands of women who work as rural and suburban mail service carriers. That decision found that the predominantly women Rural Suburban Mail Couriers ("RSMCs"), who were paid on a piece-rate-like system, performed work of equal value to Urban Letter Carriers for significantly less pay. Arbitrator Flynn ordered the parties into mediation for 90 days to negotiate a remedy including the RSMC hourly rate. The mediation was unsuccessful.
On September 12, 2018, Arbitrator Flynn held an expedited hearing on remedy. She issued her award on September 19, 2018, finding that the weighted average pay gap between the female-dominated RSMCs and the male-dominated urban letter carriers was $5.31 an hour. As a result, the RSMCs will receive pay increases of that amount, plus improvements in many other benefits, including vacation leave and pre-retirement leave.
CUPW was represented by Paul Cavalluzzo and Jan Borowy during the two-year battle for pay equity.
A copy of the CUPW bulletin summarizing the remedy award is here.
A copy of Arbitrator Flynn's decision in English can be found here. For the French version, please click here.