Sisters, Brothers, Friends,
This moment is crucial in our struggle. Canada Post, supported by the Federal Government, is trying to weaken our Union and diminish our bargaining power. On June 12, the Minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hajdu, took the unprecedented step of forcing us to vote on Canada Post’s so-called “best and final” offers. This action bypasses the bargaining demands that you put forward and ratified, disregards your representation by the negotiation committees, and undermines the very foundation of free and fair collective bargaining.
This is a critical stage in our bargaining process. As in the past, we will do everything possible to achieve an agreement without a strike. Over the decades, we’ve seen time and again that when bargaining is tough, the only thing that gets Canada Post Corporation (CPC) moving is a powerful strike mandate – it’s where our bargaining power really comes from. Still, if we have not reached agreements by September 26, 2018, we will have to be ready for some type of job action. In striking down the back-to-work legislation of 2012, Justice Firestone found that our right to strike is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Therefore, management will have to negotiate. This time, they can’t sit back and wait for back-to-work legislation to impose their rollbacks.
After more than six months of difficult and frustrating negotiations we need to send Canada Post management a strong message. “Address the Union’s proposals for equality, job security, improvements, full-time jobs and healthy working conditions and drop your demands for rollbacks. And do it now!” This strike vote is about the future – our future. At stake are our pensions, wages, benefits and working conditions for years to come. This is our opportunity to tell the employer where we stand and that we deserve better.
Volume 41, Number 1, March 2013 - CUPW members in both the urban and rural bargaining units have ratified their respective collective agreements. Both agreements were achieved only after lengthy negotiations. In the case of the urban unit, the settlement was negotiated as part of the final offer selection process established pursuant to the back-to-work legislation imposed by the Harper government. The rural agreement was reached as part of a negotiated settlement without government intervention, but the possibility of back-to-work legislation was a factor in the union’s decision to recommend acceptance.
Message From the National Executive Board - Brothers and Sisters - The National Executive Board (NEB) is asking you to decide on the tentative agreement because we believe that such an important decision must be placed in the hands of all of the members who will have to live with its consequences. The choices are very difficult because of the terms of the back-to-work legislation passed by the Harper government and the extreme position that was adopted by Canada Post management during the arbitration process, before it was temporarily stopped by the court. The back-to-work legislation imposed a Final Offer Selection process in which the government-appointed arbitrator must operate under a mandate heavily biased in favour of the employer. The situation is further worsened by the position taken by CPC management that they consider there to be dozens of issues in dispute, all of which could be included in their final offer should the arbitration proceed. Despite the justice of our position and the experience and expertise of our negotiating committee, we are in a very difficult position.
Support Postal Banking - Download and Sign the Petition
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.
Tomorrow, August 20, your Negotiating Committee will return to the bargaining table to present new global offers for both postal bargaining units to Canada Post.
Unfortunately, our scheduled meetings for Friday, August 15th and Monday, August 18th, have been postponed. The Federal mediators will not be able to assist CUPW and CPC due to their current involvement in the Air Canada negotiations.
This September, CUPW joins its Malayali brothers and sisters with joy and pride to observe Onam celebrations in Canada. Onam is one of the most significant regional festivals celebrated in Kerala, the southernmost state of India.
After pressing the Employer to come back to the bargaining table early last week, we received a response from Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger on Friday evening, just hours after we posted Bulletin 128, “CUPW is Waiting for Canada Post.” In his letter, Mr. Ettinger stuck to the lines we’ve heard from Canada Post for many months now.
A week ago, CUPW members spoke loudly and rejected what Canada Post called its “best and final” offers. The goal of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remains negotiating ratifiable collective agreements which meet postal workers’ needs, help grow the current services provided by a public post office and to better serve Canadians with new services.