Ottawa – Early this morning, we were informed that union and community members set up picket lines outside the mail processing plants in Hamilton and Kingston in Ontario to protest back to work legislation imposed on postal workers last week and fight for the right to free collective bargaining. In solidarity with postal workers, the protest-line allowed workers in, but did not allow mail out.
Have you ever been to jail in the name of justice? Six of our friends and allies recently have. Austin Hiltz, Art Bouman, Justin Whitten, Brad Fougere, Darius Mirshahi and Tony Tracy were arrested on Sunday, December 2 and held overnight, all because they protested peacefully outside the Halifax Mail Processing Plant. They have since been charged with mischief and obstruction and will return to court January 4 to enter their pleas.
Almost 9,000 postal workers will walk off the job at midnight on Tuesday – For Immediate Release – Ottawa – Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) in the Toronto local will head to the picket lines at 12:01 am EDT on Tuesday, October 23, to begin the second day of postal disruptions across the country. Job action will take place in the Greater Toronto Area, (excluding Scarborough) and most of the 905-region.
Historically when CUPW has been on strike, we have entered into picket protocols to allow members of UPCE/PSAC, other unions in postal facilities, and workers such as cleaners and cafeteria staff to go to work. However, these protocols do not cover supervisors, management and other senior-level Canada Post staff. This time around, the signed protocol does not cover members in the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA) bargaining unit. They have refused to sign a protocol with CUPW.
Today the Employer responded to a new proposal aimed at achieving our demand to address overburdening. The answer was NO. The injury rate at Canada Post is the highest of all federal industries and 5.4 times higher than the average of the federal sector. The official line of management is “We are not happy with the results. Clearly more work must be done”.
This week’s release of CPC’s 2017 Social Responsibility Report confirms that there is a health and safety emergency at Canada Post! The report reveals that the most serious injuries (full-day lost time injuries) increased 36% last year. In fact the 2017 lost time injury rate was 46% greater than 2015. In the report the Corporation states “We are not happy with the results. Clearly more work must be done”.
Ottawa – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) today gave notices to Canada Post that job action will begin next week if agreements cannot be reached for the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) bargaining units. If job action is necessary, rotating strikes will begin at 12:01 am, Monday, October 22. Locations have yet to be determined.
Today, your National Executive Board issued what is known as a “72-hour strike notice” to Canada Post for both the RSMC and Urban units. The National Executive Board has decided that the strike will begin on Monday morning, October 22, 2018, at 00:01 should we not have reached negotiated settlements.
Meetings held on September 29 and 30 between Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) officers and top executives of Canada Post Corporation (CPC) were interesting, but the impact on bargaining is unknown at this time.
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Canada needs a postal bank. Thousands of rural towns and villages in our country do not have a bank, but many of them have a post office that could provide financial services. As well, nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders. A postal bank could be that alternative. Download and sign the petition urging the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to add postal banking, with a mandate for financial inclusion.
This Labour Day, workers across Canada are gathering not just to celebrate our history, but to demand a fair future. This year’s theme, “A Canada for Workers: Made Here, Paid Here,” is a call to action: the people who power this country deserve recognition and results.
After reaching out to Canada Post through the Federal mediators to schedule a meeting, the Negotiating Committees will return to the bargaining table today, Wednesday, August 27.
The Federal mediators advised us that Canada Post has cancelled today’s (August 25) planned meeting. The Corporation says it needs more time to review our latest global offers. We are expecting to receive more questions from Canada Post about our offers through the Federal mediators.
Yesterday, August 20, CUPW’s Negotiating Committees returned to the bargaining table to present comprehensive global offers for both the RSMC and Urban bargaining units.
While we had planned to meet again tomorrow, Canada Post has told us today that it needs more time to review our offers.