Yesterday, we updated you on the history and timelines of this round of negotiations. We are sure that many of you are now asking what comes next. At this point in the process, that is the million dollar question but we all need to be prepared for anything. We all need to continue doing what we are doing and keep the pressure on Canada Post to seriously negotiate.
Negotiations between the parties have now been underway for over eight months. They began on November 20, 2015, intensified starting in April 2016, and are still ongoing. On June 25, 2016, the employer presented the Union with two global offers. Canada Post initially said that these were the best offers it could make under the circumstances. On July 1st, 2016, the Union submitted two global offers of its own to the employer.
We have taken a strong stand against two-tier wages, benefits and pensions throughout our history. CUPW has stood strong on this issue and we will continue to do so. The current wage structure in the Urban Ops collective agreement may not meet the definition of two-tier because all employees will eventually reach the same maximum rate but it is not a fair system. This wage structure has one group of employees with a starting rate that is over $5.00 per hour lower than the other employees that they work alongside. It also takes these employees 7 years to reach the maximum rate, once they become regular employees while their co-workers reach the maximum in 5 years. CPC and the previous government forced this unfair wage system on us during the last round of negotiations and now is the time to correct this injustice.
Proper staffing is important for many reasons; health and safety, morale, reducing overtime and providing good service to the public. Has Canada Post done anything during this round of negotiations to improve staffing? Has Canada Post proposed a real solution to these issues? NO!
Yesterday we shared some information about the injury rates at Canada Post which shows that there is a serious problem with health and safety. Many of our demands seek to improve the health and safety for postal workers. Nothing is more important than ensuring that each and every one of us works in a safe environment. What has Canada Post done at the bargaining table to improve health and safety for postal workers?
We met with the mediators today and reviewed the current state of our negotiations with Canada Post and the lack of real progress. In our meeting with CPC today we discussed Health and Safety Training (Appendix DD). CPC is still determined to reduce the 8 hours of health and safety training that every employee receives even though the injury rate at CPC is the highest in the federal public sector.
We are telling Canada Post to come to the table ready to address our demands but we continue to meet unjustified resistance. We are pushing back hard and reminding CPC over and over that our demands are important and must be addressed.
We have been talking about the slow progress and we have mentioned some successes. It is now time for Canada Post to come to the table with the intent of resolving key issues if we are going to have negotiated collective agreements.
The parties are making progress on some issues. We are continuing to meet with Canada Post and remain determined to achieve our goal of negotiated collective agreements.
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.
June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, we honour the histories, cultures, resistance, and ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Turtle Island. This is a day to celebrate Indigenous resurgence and to reflect on the responsibilities we all carry as people living and working on Indigenous lands.
Today, May 30, CUPW met with Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, and John Zerucelli, Secretary of State for Labour. It was our second meeting with them since they were appointed to their positions after the federal election.
At the meeting, we shared our thoughts and concerns about negotiations and the recent global offers from Canada Post. We were assured that the Minister would continue to play an intermediary role in the bargaining process but will not intervene at this time.
Media Advisory -
OTTAWA - Canada Post’s plan will result in sweeping changes to our public postal system’s regulatory framework. The Corporation’s most recent contract offers to CUPW don’t drop its proposed rollbacks. When combined, this is sure to result in service and job cuts.
Wildfire season is early again this year. Fires are already raging in the northern part of the Prairies, in some Eastern provinces and in more isolated locations across the country. This is simply a reminder that we need to be ready to respond when such a situation arises again this year. In fact, some communities in Manitoba have received evacuation notices, and it is very likely that others will have to be evacuated over the coming weeks. In some part of Canada, the winter was mild with very little precipitation, increasing the risk of outbreaks. Therefore, we must once again be vigilant and ready to take the necessary measures to ensure everyone’s safety.
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.