Canada Post officials said on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 that talks with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have grinded to a halt.
“Canada Post is considering its options to move negotiations forward as talks with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have ground to a halt on key issues critical to the Corporation’s future,” Canada Post officials stated.
“The parties have been working with the assistance of a special mediator since November 18, but progress has been limited to minor items. Despite the current situation, we remain committed to the bargaining process. Throughout these negotiations, Canada Post has put forward detailed proposals to bring more flexibility to its outdated, mail-based delivery model. These changes are necessary to better compete in the parcel business, better serve Canadians, and drive much-needed revenue growth.”
Canada Post officials added: “However, after not responding over the past several days, CUPW has just informed us, through the special mediator, that it will not be responding at all.”
Canada Post official say approximately 95% of delivery teams are full-time.
“Employees and customers across the country are feeling the significant impacts of CUPW’s national strike, which is now on its 12th day,” Canada Post officials say.
“We had hoped the union would bring some much-needed urgency to the discussions. That has not been the case. We have consistently put forward proposals that are critical for the future of the postal service and important to the Canadians we serve, while protecting our current employees. Our proposals would add a greater mix of part-time and full-time employees to our delivery model to respond to the daily variations in parcel volumes and provide weekend delivery.”
Canada Post officials added: “Our approach would create new regular, permanent part-time jobs, providing greater opportunities for temporary employees to become permanent, with guaranteed hours, schedules and eligibility for health and pension benefits. With losses of more than $3-billion since 2018 and a $315-million loss before tax in the third quarter of 2024, Canada Post requires negotiated agreements that let all employees focus on the future, without adding new fixed costs that will hamper its ability to compete.”
Union officials say Canada Post’s latest information update of November 26, describing what is going on at the bargaining table, is “full of half-truths and outright deception.
“First and foremost, CUPW left the meetings Tuesday since we cannot proceed without Canada Post’s negotiators. They had to go back to speak to the Executive Board of Canada Post for further direction,” CUPW officials say.
“The Union negotiators did tell the special mediator that we were unwilling to talk about one particular Employer demand – something we have discussed at least a dozen times in bargaining already. Canada Post is fully aware of how far CUPW is willing to go – they just don’t like the answer.”
CUPW officials added: “We hear from Canada Post that there is no intention of “gigifying” the workforce at Canada Post, but many of Canada Post’s proposals are directly aimed toward a race-to-the-bottom competition with multinational corporations.”
Their proposals have included “attacks on full-time work” where Canada Post wants to increase the part-time mix to more than 50% of the workforce, when they have over 5,000 part-time and over 12,500 temporary employees now, union officials say.
“Some of these part-timers would end up being scheduled as few as eight hours per week,” CUPW officials say.
“They wouldn’t be eligible for any benefits until they reach 1,000 hours, which could take as long as two and a half years. This is not an increase in the mix, it is a full-on assault on good-paying, full-time jobs. The Corporation already has several ways to deliver parcels at straight-time rates that they are unwilling to utilize. These options have existed for years and include a detailed measurement system so that workers are not overburdened and are paid properly for the work they do. This is part of the reason we know what Canada Post is saying about its financial picture and that it can’t compete without major concessions from CUPW is misinformation. Their proposals make it clear that they do not care about health and safety, overburdening or paying a living wage.”
Union officials added: “Canada Post management talks about the urgency of reaching a deal while they still sit in their offices or at home collecting their six figure salaries and bonuses. No CUPW member from Canada Post, Union leadership included, are receiving a salary right now; things could not be more urgent for our side. We’re fighting for quality service, good long-term jobs and for protecting the public post office in the communities in which we serve. Canada Post management is willing to lie to the Government and the public to continue its manufactured crisis. In the meantime, it’s leaving 55,000 employees out in the cold.”
We’ll provide more details when they become available.
