“After nearly a year of negotiations, and despite all our efforts, the parties are still very far from an agreement on many issues,” declared the national president of the Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Jan Simpson.
The union will have the right to call a strike on November 15, at 12:01 a.m.
Even though notice was given to Canada Post, CUPW “has not yet decided whether a strike will be called immediately.” This “will depend on Canada Post’s actions at the negotiating table over the coming days,” we read in a press release.
A source close to the matter confirmed to Right that the employer has submitted a lockout notice.
In a press release sent at the end of the morning, Canada Post indicates that “unless new agreements are concluded, the current collective agreements will cease to apply as of on Friday.
“The Company will then be entitled to use the means provided for in Canada Labor Code and to adjust its operations to its operational realities and commercial needs.”
While he ordered binding arbitration Tuesday morning to try to resolve port disputes in Quebec and British Columbia, Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon still hopes that Canada Post and CUPW will reach “an agreement at the table.” negotiation”.
Maintaining essential services
The union and employer are committed to maintaining essential services in the event of a strike, including the delivery of pension and welfare checks as well as live animals.
The company warns, however, that other services may be delayed.
But the “uncertainty” that has hovered since CUPW adopted a strike mandate “hastened the decline of the financial situation” of Canada Post.
Fearing that their shipments will not reach recipients, companies are turning to the competition.
According to the company, package volumes were down 28% last week compared to the same week last year. The period, just before the holiday season, is “usually the busiest of the year.”
Negotiations stall
CUPW represents 55,000 members across the country, including urban, rural and suburban mail carriers. At the end of October, its members voted 95% for a strike mandate.
Negotiations, which have been underway for almost a year, are stagnating. Last Tuesday, the union tabled a new counter-proposal, judging that the latest offer from Canada Post presented on October 29 is “insufficient”.
CUPW is now demanding a salary increase of 22% over four years, compared to the 11.5% proposed by the employer.
The union denounces several “setbacks” requested by the employer concerning social benefits, leave, and the retirement plan.
For its part, Canada Post accuses its employees of “resisting[r] to change”.
