For Immediate Release - OTTAWA - Postal workers currently living under the shadow of a threatened lockout are relieved that the value of their 30-day truce proposal to keep talks going and the mail moving was acknowledged by Canada Post management. But giving up their right to freely negotiate is a poison pill that shouldn’t be part of the deal, they say.
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.
For Immediate Release - OTTAWA- Postal workers have politely declined a suggestion from federal Minister of Labour
MaryAnn Mihychuk to bring negotiations with Canada Post management to binding arbitration, saying it’s a matter of principle. “We appreciate the offer to help, but paying women equally for work of equal value is the law of the land; it’s not something that can be awarded or withheld by an arbitrator,” said Mike Palecek, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The CUPW agrees with the Supreme Court of Canada that collective bargaining is a fundamental right and the best way for workers to participate in the process to determine their wages, benefits, and working conditions. All of the gains we have accomplished have been through collective bargaining. Our experience with arbitration is that it is a costly and long process, often taking several years, where we have concessions imposed upon us by government- appointed arbitrators that do not have to live with the consequences of their decision.
We often say “solidarity” to each other. But now comes the real test of solidarity for our union. Do we practice what we preach or is “solidarity” just a catchphrase? Do we still believe that an injury to one is an injury to all? The solidarity that we share between us is the only way we will survive this. If we show each other our solidarity, not only will we survive, we will win.
The Canada Labour Code provides that the parties have a duty to make every reasonable effort to negotiate a collective agreement and must bargain in good faith. Furthermore, employers are prohibited from interfering in the affairs of a Union. Today, CUPW filed a formal complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) that Canada Post management has failed to negotiate in good faith and is interfering with the Union’s right to represent its members.
OTTAWA – Canada Post has just served notice on fifty thousand Canadian workers that it plans to drive them out onto the streets without pay in an effort to impose steep concessions on them.
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.
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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.
Canada Post put out a message today to all CUPW members in the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers units about benefits coverage and working conditions upon the expiry of the collective agreements on May 22.
This afternoon, Canada Post negotiators informed CUPW that they were leaving the bargaining table, calling it a “temporary pause,” to put together another set of offers. Canada Post would not provide a date for when the Union will receive these proposals. It could be in a few days; it could be next week. Given the seriousness of the matter, it is reprehensible to keep workers and the public on edge when we should all be focused on negotiating good collective agreements that will benefit workers and grow our public service to meet the needs of all Canadians.
The Union has been actively pursuing confirmation from Canada Post that it will respect the post-retirement benefits entitlements of retiring members. The Union was looking to confirm that members who retire will be eligible for post-retirement benefits in the event that the retirement would occur during a labour disruption.
Many members and their dependants are on prescription drugs commonly known as maintenance drugs or long-term medications. These are drugs you may take on a regular basis to treat conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes.
As reported in Negotiations Bulletin #75, CUPW and Canada Post returned to the bargaining table on Wednesday and Thursday this week in Ottawa. The meetings were facilitated by two Mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) who are very familiar with our file.
This May, CUPW proudly joins the Asian community across Canada in celebrating
ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH. It’s a time to honour the history and rich cultural contributions of Canadians of Asian descent.
The results from yesterday's federal election are in, and we now know that the next government will be led by Prime Minister Mark Carney of the Liberal Party.
Few could have predicted this result just a few months ago. But a trade war with the US and threats to annex Canada upended the campaign and completely changed the political landscape.
On Wednesday April 30, your Negotiators are returning to the bargaining table in Ottawa to continue their efforts to secure good collective agreements for both the Urban Postal Operation (UPO) and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMCs) bargaining units.
It is with deep sadness I must convey news of the passing of Darrell Tingley, former CUPW President and lifelong union activist.
From a very early age Brother Tingley committed his life to further the struggle of postal workers and the Canadian and international working class.
The past several months have been very busy for the Union. And in the month ahead, there is still more to come: a federal election, the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) report, Canada Post’s 2024 annual report, and the end of the extension of our collective agreements. We know members have lots of questions about what is going to happen, especially after the extensions of our collective agreements.