As the postal worker strike in Canada continues into its fourth week, both Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have confirmed they are no closer to a resolution, with Canada Post stating it is “extremely disappointed” with how the negotiations are going.
The strike, which began on November 15, revolves around postal workers employment conditions with the CUPW calling for “fair wages, safer working conditions and the right for workers – today and in the future – to retire with dignity, and new services at the public post office”.
Widening the gap
However, in a statement on its website, Canada Post said the intent of CUPW’s latest negotiation offers “appears to be to widen the gap in negotiations, rather than close it”.
The statement continued, “We are conducting a full review of the offers for the Urban and RSMC (Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers) bargaining units and will share more information as soon as possible. However, we don’t want to provide false hope to impacted employees, small businesses, charities and northern communities that were hoping for a speedy resolution. In the last few weeks, Canada Post has made several important moves to close the gap and reach negotiated agreements, but the union has reverted to their previous positions or increased their demands.
“Our core business is delivery. While postal services around the world are working constructively to evolve their delivery approach to respond to changing customer needs, CUPW’s demands reinforce the status quo and add significant and unsustainable long-term fixed costs. One example is continuing to demand that our facility cleaning staff and other contracted support services become permanent Canada Post employees.”
Value of the workforce
In response to Canada Post’s statement, the CUPW said, “Our latest proposals include member demands – forwarded from our Locals across the country and voted on by each bargaining unit – that address the issues postal workers need resolved so that we can all get back to work.
“None of us want to be on the picket line, but we cannot continue with management steamrolling workers with random ideas they have to change work rules and impact our safety. We call on Canada Post to seriously consider our proposals and recognize that they reflect the value of its workforce.”
The union said that “true progress requires meaningful engagement, not surface-level proposals, or new demands that derail progress” and that negotiators were working hard to get an agreement that its 55,000 members can ratify.