Canada Post strike update: Management and union evaluating new proposals, hope to resume official mediation soon
As the strike by 55,000 Canada Post workers enters its fourth week, the company and union are finally bargaining again, unofficially.
On Friday, the company and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers were exchanging proposals and counterproposals through a federally-appointed mediator. Details of the back-and-forth offers weren’t released.
In a statement Friday evening, CUPW president national president Jan Simpson said the union was reviewing the company’s latest offer, and planned to respond via the mediator. Simpson said CUPW was eager to get back to official bargaining.
“Given recent movements, we are wondering when the mediation process will officially resume,” said Simpson. “CUPW remains fully committed to returning to the bargaining table to negotiate collective agreements that provide good jobs and a strong public post office.”
In an emailed statement, a Canada Post spokesperson said the crown corporation had shown flexibility.
“On December 1, Canada Post presented CUPW with a framework for new agreements, which included proposals to bring greater flexibility to the Corporation’s delivery model while demonstrating movement on key issues. On December 5, CUPW presented counter proposals; today, Canada Post responded, demonstrating further movement,” the spokesperson said, adding that Canada Post is also eager to get deals done for both its urban and rural bargaining units.
“The Corporation remains committed to working with urgency to get closer to agreements for CUPW’s Urban and RSMC bargaining units,” the spokesperson said.
The series of unofficial back-and-forth proposals began last Sunday, after the union and Canada Post received a stern, closed-door talking-to from federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon.
Still, no formal bargaining has taken place since Nov. 28, when the mediator called off talks, saying the two sides were too far apart to reach a deal. The strike began Nov. 15.
Labour studies professor Rafael Gomez said it appears the two sides have finally started bargaining in earnest, after the meeting with MacKinnon last weekend.
“In the meeting, I think they finally got some clarity that the government isn’t intervening,” said Gomez, director of the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto.
One reason the negotiations have gone on this long, said Gomez, is that the federal government intervened in previous labour disputes this year by invoking Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code and asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order binding arbitration.
“I think that created the impression that they might use Section 107 here,” said Gomez.
Canada Post has previously said it has offered wage increases totalling 11.5 per cent over four years and additional paid leave, while protecting the defined benefit pension and job security provisions.
The union has called for a cumulative wage hike of 24 per cent over four years, as well as suggesting that Canada Post expand into banking.
The company is also seeking to provide weekend deliveries, and have a greater share of its staff be part-time. The union wants full-time workers to do weekend delivery, while the company wants to hire part-time staff to do the job.
Meanwhile, the knock-on impact of the strike is making life even harder for businesses to reach customers, as shipping giants UPS and Purolator both stopped accepting new orders from courier companies.
Couriers such as eShipper, which act as middlemen between smaller e-commerce businesses and large carriers, are among the companies temporarily barred from shipping with Purolator and UPS.
It’s devastating news for small retailers already struggling to reach customers during the peak holiday season, said Dan Kelly, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Many of the small businesses typically use Canada Post to fulfil online orders, said Kelly, and have been scrambling to fill the gap.
“First, there was no Canada Post. If private couriers aren’t an option either, our members are really in trouble,” said Kelly. “It goes from being a very stressful situation to an absolute disaster.”
An eShipper memo to clients on Wednesday said it was a 48-hour pause, but Kelly suspects the pause could become permanent if the strike continues.
The effects of the strike are also being felt by some Ontario wineries, said the head of a trade association.
“Many small wineries use specialized delivery services, but even they are overwhelmed right now with increased volumes as a result of the strike,” said Michelle Wasylyshen, president and CEO of Ontario Craft Wineries.
