Postal workers went back on strike across Chatham-Kent on Tuesday, November 20, as part of the on-going 24-hour rotating strikes organized by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
The latest strike began in Chatham-Kent, which includes the Wallaceburg and Dresden locations, at 12:01 a.m.
Chatham, St. Thomas and Woodstock (ON) are on strike as of 12:01am ET, Nov 20 – Members: contact your local for more info [https://t.co/gMNdGgYrtg] #canlab #negos2018 pic.twitter.com/AaesaNbum1
— cupw (@cupw) 20 November 2018
CUPW officials say they are calling on Canada Post to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a settlement now.
“We will not accept binding arbitration to resolve our issues with Canada Post,” stated Mike Palecek, CUPW National President, in a press release.
“We have the right to collective bargaining and to settle this through negotiations. We are confident that an agreement can be reached, if only Canada Post would address the issues and stop looking for ways not to negotiate.”
On Monday morning, Canada Post proposed a ‘cooling-off’ period effective immediately and lasting through January 31, followed by binding arbitration if no settlement is reached by then.
“We aren’t doing this to harm the public, but the proposal asks our members to go back to work at the heaviest and most stressful time of year, under the same conditions that produce the highest injury rate in the federal sector,” Palecek added.
“It asks women to continue to do work for free. How can we do that?”
CUPW officials say their negotiators have proposed concrete solutions to the major issues – the injury crisis, gender inequality, overburdening and precarious work – which Canada Post has rejected.
“Canada Post should focus on delivering fair collective agreements,” Palecek said.
“Our issues are ones that everyone out there will relate to. Our members need to see their families at the end of the day, our RSMC members must be paid for all the hours that they work. We must be able to deliver Christmas without relying so heavily on precarious employment, without the highest rate of debilitating injuries.”
Canada Post officials say the strikes are now into their fifth week and have touched virtually every Canada Post facility and every Canadian address so far.
Canada Post officials say residents can expect prolonged delivery delays.
“The postal service remains operational, but Canada Post has advised commercial customers that it is not able to honour its delivery standards for any product because of prolonged and ongoing rotating strikes,” Canada Post officials stated.
“The strikes have created massive backlogs of mail and parcels already in our network, just days before we expect millions more parcels from Black Friday and Cyber Monday online sales. While there will be delays across the country, Canada Post expects the worst delays for mail and parcels will be for items that originate or are destined for southern and southwestern Ontario.”
This is the second time the rotating strikes have impacted Wallaceburg, Dresden and Chatham-Kent.
Read our story, here: Postal workers strike hits Wallaceburg & Dresden
