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[Merged] Ask Me About Working For Canada Post

Jr. Member
Feb 4, 2016
165 posts
60 upvotes
Vancouver, BC
da_way wrote: Depends on how much you are picking up too, try counting or having a rough idea of how many items you're picking up. You can use the manifest to back up your claim. You usually only get 20 minutes to unload but more stuff means more stuff to dispatch. You can always try to call your supervisor and say you don't have space to pick up in your vehicle. Take your time, if you go into OT book it and keep the form. You might see me say this a lot on this thread but I was you once, and I have seen my forms magically disappear. Never let them talk you out of OT, if it isn't on your edit book then that's time added. NEVER EVER work for free.

I have been paid for 12 hours while working 9 hours before. You can pick up splits of OT, like if I pick up 2 splits of OT that's 3.5 hours but if I finish my route and both of those splits in 9 hours I still get paid 11.5 hours. That's an example. But that really depends on the supervisor.

If I finish my route in 5 hours and my supervisor ask me to do parcels for another route like a milk run and it takes me an hour I will still get paid for 6 hours although it is within my 8. I don't know the technicalities of it from the supervisor POV but that's how it has worked for me. As a temp they will push you around.

When it comes to bidding on routes you should get as much info as possible. Like getting the route break down. But on top of that try and ask what was the seniority of the guy that was on it before. Ask around the station and take the initiative to perhaps visit the route and get a feel how the houses are. Does the condo concierge take most/all things? If you are going to own a route try to know as much as you can. I literally know whole FSA's because I worked there and down OT splits there. I'm willing to be more specific or help you look at things if needed.
So far my truck has always been completely full and at the plant I wont be able to get put from the back. I would have to walk around go through the plant go to the loading dock and open my rear gate. It's not that I'm incapable of doing the route, I just want the extra money if applicable to my situation as I don't want to work for free. The ot you talk about would be 17.08, these on demands in my area would be 15.08 but I never actually go past 8 hours, I just can't stop my self from walking fast and going fast haha to make it go past 8. I do take. My breaks and stuff too.
Jr. Member
Jan 16, 2017
169 posts
35 upvotes
Toronto
tarjet wrote: It's not just the walks there.. the management at that depot is the worst I've experienced in the GTA.

Speaking of bad management:

Talk about throwing your employees under the bus.
I've seen these bike lane police guy on TV yesterday, talking about us.
I didn't watch the whole segment, just a minute or so but I thought 'oh shit, this isn't going to be good...'
Deal Addict
Oct 16, 2014
3193 posts
2474 upvotes
at the chiropractors
kehfun wrote: So far my truck has always been completely full and at the plant I wont be able to get put from the back. I would have to walk around go through the plant go to the loading dock and open my rear gate. It's not that I'm incapable of doing the route, I just want the extra money if applicable to my situation as I don't want to work for free. The ot you talk about would be 17.08, these on demands in my area would be 15.08 but I never actually go past 8 hours, I just can't stop my self from walking fast and going fast haha to make it go past 8. I do take. My breaks and stuff too.
Well, as another poster said......it ended pretty quick when he started claiming o/t. I know it is very hard to make it an 8 hour day (+), when you are used to much less, but that might be the only way to make it stop. I think their bonuses might be partially based on how much o/t there is or something, because they try to avoid it like the plague... Do you start early or at your regular start time? Do you sort your fliers in the morning when you come in, or afterwards? Do you include that flyer sorting time as part of your work day?
Sometimes the truth hurts. The other times it hurts worse....
Deal Addict
Jun 26, 2008
1754 posts
173 upvotes
Toronto
If you want to avoid getting all these pick ups you have to go into OT. You have to bite the bullet and think of it as you get paid 8 hours. I get stressed out when I work 7 hours on my own route. Trust me I know that I want to get out early.

I know of down town routes where you would literally never be able to pick up stuff if we found a place to park. It would be me circling around and around to find parking. Hope they skip the point of call and bring those Amazon parcels back. As for if management will care I have seen supervisors get really picky if we miss scans. I have had cases where I scanned the SLB and some reason when I came back and logged out, the next morning my supervisor will ask if I did it...
Member
Apr 20, 2013
278 posts
122 upvotes
jmomccxx wrote: Did my physical yesterday. A little concerned because my blood pressure and heart rate were higher than they usually are.. nerves I think... my blood pressure was normal on Sunday. Anyone remember doing their's? What would fail you?
If they allowed you to proceed with the test, and did not stop you at any point, you are 100% fine.
Jr. Member
Jan 16, 2017
169 posts
35 upvotes
Toronto
fishscale4sale wrote: It isn't ALL bad, and once you get used to the congested streets, the pedestrians the bike lanes, all the traffic.. It isn't so bad lol.

One thing is for sure, once you experience having to fill a vacant walk at 600, a route that NO ONE has bid on for months.. once you work on that route for a few weeks/months, it will make all your future routes feel that much easier.
That's so true!

I wasn't lucky, everytime I worked there, pretty much the worst kind of walks I got.

And for me, the traffic, one way streets, pedestrians were the other reasons I avoided there, too.

Walks there are bad enough for temps but then you have to deal with those...it was too much for me at the time but I was pretty new back then.

I feel bad for LCs who have to deal with the bike lanes issue now.
It's CPC's fault and they have to change where SLBs should be and give appropriate time values!

But I know I'm talking about dreams!
Sr. Member
Dec 13, 2016
809 posts
430 upvotes
fishscale4sale wrote: Same thing happened to me, my blood pressure and heart rate were high due to nerves. The doctor took my readings 3 times because the numbers coming back were too high I guess. I don't know what the pass/fail parameters are..

In the end I passed all other tests and I was in obvious good shape, I don't know if I ever really passed those blood pressure/heart rate tests or if the doctor just passed me himself regardless of the numbers. I was nervous at the time and I mentioned this to the doctor once I realized he was re-attempting the test for the third time lol..
Can you tell me how high you went? I get my blood pressure taken all the time because my mil is a nurse,, and my mom too. I'm usually 120-125 over 70-80. I hit 131/91 in the test. He didn't take it again.
Last edited by jmomccxx on Jul 25th, 2017 11:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sr. Member
Dec 13, 2016
809 posts
430 upvotes
digression wrote: If they allowed you to proceed with the test, and did not stop you at any point, you are 100% fine.
Yea, he didn't stop me in the middle of any of the tests, so I'm guessing I'm good.
Sr. Member
Jul 6, 2017
644 posts
686 upvotes
Trying to get outsid…
fishscale4sale wrote: Hmm, I don't really see it as throwing us under the bus, it even says if it is unsafe to park we can avoid the stop. If anything a lot of posties will now be using this as a legitimate reason to go into OT since it is a safety issue, or as a reason to be bringing back mail/parcels.
EDIT: ^^^ SEE?

But the tone of the message is a bit much, it makes it sound like CP management are barking these orders at us using the word 'expected' especially..
It really bothers me when companies cave in to social media pressure. It's a "customer is always right" mentality that usually results in the employees looking bad and taking shit, while the twee hipster social media "activist" claims victory and garners likes.
I used to work for a very large parking management company and they had a complete double standard with social media. If someone wanted to argue a parking notice or payment issue and used the regular channels of phone or email they would have to wait their turn and their situation would be reviewed and the appropriate action would be taken. Most people arguing their parking notices are actually in the wrong and the notice is typically enforced. However if someone complains via Twitter, the company immediately jumps all over it, apologizes profusely and cancels the notice or issues a refund without question. Again, the arguer was usually in the wrong.
CPC already considers letter carriers, the backbone of the corporation, to be lowlifes. These kinds of social media exchanges are just going to put us in a worse light.
Jr. Member
Jan 16, 2017
169 posts
35 upvotes
Toronto
Yes. You can easily imagine people start complaining about that they don't have their parcels ready at RPOs even the cards saying they'll be there for the customers to pick up at 1pm next day bc LC couldn't find a parking spot....

Then what?

It's not that we want to park at bike lanes.
We don't have time to find a parking spot for forever or park at somewhere far and walk back and forth.

We didn't design where SLBs and RPOs should be.
Deal Addict
Apr 30, 2015
1116 posts
1011 upvotes
York, ON
Hey if they actually do give more time values to park in different spots for rpos,slbs and pickups it's great. But when it comes to parcel drops there isn't really a solution. They won't change the values for those. Carding everything isn't a permenant solution, and it's the carriers on the street that have to deal with the public abuse and complaints that will happen. The naming and shaming of people on social media who are just trying to do their jobs is really over the top and needs to stop.
Deal Addict
Oct 16, 2014
3193 posts
2474 upvotes
at the chiropractors
Interestingly, about the bike lanes, CP says that staff have been notified that we will not be parking in bike lanes. In other news, this has not been discussed at our depot. Perhaps CP let one of the workers know and hoped the word would spread? Maybe it's because it only applies to Toronto, and all other bike lanes are still free game? Lol, just another day in the gong show.....
Sometimes the truth hurts. The other times it hurts worse....
Deal Addict
Oct 16, 2014
3193 posts
2474 upvotes
at the chiropractors
LOL, look what I just found after making that last post....
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new ... in-toronto

It's TRUE!!! They want us to keep breaking the law everywhere else.....LOL, I would say it is unbelievable, but we all know that this is the kind of leadership we can expect.....
Sometimes the truth hurts. The other times it hurts worse....
Jr. Member
Apr 30, 2017
110 posts
98 upvotes
Is appointment to full-time from part time done in batches, or are the positions filled individually as they open up?
Sr. Member
Jul 6, 2017
644 posts
686 upvotes
Trying to get outsid…
timetotellthetruth wrote: LOL, look what I just found after making that last post....
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new ... in-toronto

It's TRUE!!! They want us to keep breaking the law everywhere else.....LOL, I would say it is unbelievable, but we all know that this is the kind of leadership we can expect.....
Once again, we're fighting against the fact that the general public is ignorant of what our job entails and of course the corporation is unwilling to educate. I wish the columnist had interviewed an actual letter carrier, or at least a CUPW representative, to give a balanced view of the issue. I used to be a newspaper reporter and that's what I would have done.
Funny how in the column it's mentioned that it's okay for public employees who are "working in the street" to stop in bike lanes. Isn't that exactly what letter carriers are and what we are doing?
Member
Jan 5, 2014
289 posts
327 upvotes
Addresses are hard..…
I bet that truck in the bike lane wasn't even making a delivery. The driver probably had to pull over cuz the step van was 100 degrees inside and was about to pass out. I had a conversation with a UPS driver about how they are allowed to drive with stepvan doors open. They apparently told the company to install air in all the trucks and they refused. Their union said screw you and decided they would drive with the doors open then...
Deal Addict
Oct 16, 2014
3193 posts
2474 upvotes
at the chiropractors
Crazyhorse75 wrote: I don't get it? If Canada Post agreed to something it is only because it would benefit them......Is this just RSMC?
http://www.cupw.ca/en/drive-time-values ... -209979297
I believe it to be just RSMC. The only thing that urban side got was screwed....
Sometimes the truth hurts. The other times it hurts worse....

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