Yesterday we met with Canada Post and the Minister of Labour with the mediators present, to review all the issues in dispute. We were anticipating a different approach, but instead it was the same old rhetoric. Canada Post is maintaining its unacceptable demands rollbacks: precarious part-time and temporary employment, no improvements in staffing, the ability to close all 493 protected CUPW staffed retail locations eliminating up to 1200 full-time jobs, continuing the attack on our retirement security by wanting to increase the cost of retiree benefits and changing to a defined contribution pension plan for all new regular employees and to change the working conditions for all Urban employees. Canada Post’s proposal on pay equity for RSMCs was nothing more than an attempt to complicate and delay that process. Canada Post wants to drag out pay equity with binding arbitration, a process that could take years or even decades. . Surprisingly, Canada Post did not include any demands for growth during its presentations yesterday. Canada Post mentioned nothing about parcels or unaddressed admail or any other way to increase revenues and grow the company. This is not an approach that will lead to negotiated collective agreements.
This morning we met with representatives of the Federal Government and Canada Post management to discuss the current state of negotiations. The government was represented by Treasury Board President Scott Brison and senior officials from Labour Canada and Treasury Board. CPC was represented by CEO President Deepak Chopra and other senior representatives. Representing CUPW was National President Mike Palecek, 1st National Vice-President Jan Simpson, and both CUPW chief negotiators George Floresco (also 3rd National Vice-President) and Sylvain Lapointe (also National Director, Metro-Montreal Region).
As the end of our strike vote mandate looms ever closer, what is Canada Post waiting for? Are they content to sit back and see what we will do on August 25? Do they want us to take some form of strike action so that they can then lock us out? Do they want negotiated collective agreements or do they want to battle this out?
There have been many questions about how the Canada Labour Code applies to our current situation. As you know, we held a strike vote and that mandate is good for 60 days. Our 60-day period ends on August 25, 2016. What are our options at that point?
CPC has effectively refused CUPW’s offer for a 30-day cooling off period to address concerns about “uncertainty” in the mail system and give negotiations a chance to succeed. Instead management is proposing a process of compulsory arbitration to commence 30 days from now. If CPC knows there is a process of arbitration after 30 days they will simply continue to issue ultimatums and use the time to prepare their arbitration presentations. That is a prospect that the Union will not accept.
Mr. Sinclair: This is in response to your letter of July 4, 2016. In your letter, you conveyed your interpretation of the Corporation’s June 25, 2016 global offer by highlighting what you believed to be the offer’s greatest merits. You also roundly criticized the union’s global offer submitted on July 1st, 2016 and even went as far as condemning its timing. In a rather condescending manner, you also took the liberty of calling this offer disappointing.
Mr. Cadieux: This is in response to your letter of July 4, 2016. In your letter, you conveyed your interpretation of the Corporation’s June 25, 2016 global offer by highlighting what you believed to be the offer’s greatest merits. You also roundly criticized the union’s global offer submitted on July 1st, 2016 and even went as far as condemning its timing. In a rather condescending manner, you also took the liberty of calling this offer disappointing.
Yesterday we reported that CPC provided us with letters outlining their response to our global offers, which we presented on July 1st, 2016. CPC’s letters stated that they reject our position and will withdraw their June 25th global offers “in their entirety” at the expiry of any 72-hour notice provided by either party. Last night at 11:47 PM, CPC filed its 72-hour notices of lock-out.
OTTAWA - Postal workers remain committed to seeking the best possible public postal service for Canadians and Canadian businesses. We want an agreement that allows us to innovate in order to adapt to the changing communication needs of Canadian businesses and the public, and we want to continue providing accessible postal services that can be counted
on to deliver everywhere in Canada.
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.
On May 28, Canada Post released its annual report for 2024. The Corporation posted a loss before tax of $841 million, continuing a pattern of financial losses since 2018. Canada Post puts the blame for the scale of its losses to several factors
Today, May 28, Canada Post presented what it calls its “best and final” offers for both the RSMC and Urban bargaining units.
While Canada Post insists that its offers reflect the Union’s demands from our May 25 proposal, there are almost no changes from what the Employer put forward on May 21. There's no question: Canada Post is not negotiating. Canada Post is playing hardball.
Application deadline: June 30, 2025 - On the fifth anniversary of the passing of Sister Megan Whitfield, CUPW is honoured to offer the Megan Whitfield bursary, two financial awards to encourage aspiring trade union activists to continue the important work Sister Whitfield started before her life was cut short.
The Union has now heard back from Canada Post through the federal mediators. The Employer has proposed to return to the bargaining table Wednesday (May 28) to provide the Union with a response to our latest proposals.
Union negotiators and the National Executive Board spent the last few days, and nights, reviewing the Employer’s last offers and preparing responses to issues in the offers and issues important to the Union that the Employer failed to acknowledge.
Today, May 23, is the first day of a nationwide overtime ban. As of 12:01 a.m. today, members were called on to refuse to work more than eight hours a day and more than 40 hours a week. This is a legal strike action and all CUPW members must follow this direction.
The National Executive Board has called for a nationwide overtime ban effective May 23 at 12:00 am local time. That means members are being called on to refuse to work any more than eight hours in a day and refuse to work more than forty hours in a week.
Today, May 21, our negotiation committees received global offers from Canada Post for both the Urban Postal Operation (UPO) and the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMCs) bargaining units. The Negotiators are currently reviewing and analyzing the offers’ contents. We will provide a more in-depth analysis shortly, but here are some of the main elements of the offers below...
After walking away from the table for the third time, Canada Post will finally table their global offers today. Our negotiating committee is currently on the way to receive the proposals.
This year, CUPW is proud to celebrate the Pride season under the theme "Workers United Against Hate" proposed by the Canadian Labour Congress. As we face a shocking rise in anti-LGBTQ hate in Canada and around the world, this theme is more important than ever.