MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE RMO’S POSITIONS

Colleagues,
Please find below a copy of the reply sent to Ms. Sylvie Charbonneau regarding the Corporation’s intent to change the Minimum Requirements of the RMO’s (Route Measurement Officer’s) positions.
Canada Post Corporation
Sylvie Charboneau
We are in receipt of your email dated February 1, 2012 pertaining to your changing the minimum requirements of RMO’s (Route Measurement Officer’s) in February 2012. I have pasted a part of your email below for reference to this topic. 
“Since 2007, CPC has invested over $1 million in a new restructure application call Géoroute. This application manages most of the letter carrier workload rules from the CUPW collective agreement (CA) and the Letter Carrier Route Measurement System (LCRMS). Having an application that has the flexibility to calculate all of the time values, and that can also handle the different strategies makes it a more complex system to use than previous route restructuring programs. The benefit of such a system is that the RMO no longer needs to calculate any allowances or time credits as per the LCRMS or the CA, which should result in a shorter cycle time to actually design new routes. 
Given the Corporation’s financial situation, the Route Optimization team has being tasked to restructure 56% more routes in 2012 than in 2011, and to keep this pace for the next 4 years. We want to ensure that those employees who are joining the team are equipped with the capabilities and the resources to excel, and to meet this aggressive schedule.
To alleviate this situation going forward, it is necessary for us to change the minimum requirements to a level that will ensure new RMOs will have the computer skills they need to be successful, or provide them the opportunity to demonstrate they have the skills to be successful in this challenging environment. We have held off staffing RMO positions since December in order to benefit from new minimum requirements or a computer test, but it’s getting difficult to hold off staffing much longer.” 
With regards to the Corporation’s decision to change the minimum requirements for the RMO’s effective February 13, 2012, the Association does not support this change. We believe that this approach will not garner the results you are looking for, and in so doing, will discourage your current employees, our members, from seeking these positions.
Furthermore, the RMO positions are OP1 classifications, which are the entry level positions within our bargaining unit. It is our belief that the current minimum requirements are satisfactory, as OP1 Supervisors in Collection & Delivery & Local Areas are currently performing much of the computer work that is required to perform the duties. Today’s supervisors have been delegated complex computer responsibilities in Edit Book, AIM, Payroll, SAP, RSMC vouchers, just to list a few. These computer tasks consume a large portion of their daily responsibilities, and we believe that this experience is more than adequate to meet the job requirements of a Route Measurement Officer.
Additionally, these supervisors know firsthand how to pace routes and understand the issues and complications in areas that would benefit the restructuring of routes.
We are extremely disappointed that the Corporation has decided to move forward without taking the necessary time to review and discuss the Association’s areas of concern. 
We remain open to discussion and opportunities to build our relationships and seek to reach agreements that would benefit both parties and continue to support the success for the Corporation and our members.