Negotiations between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)—the union representing posties—and Canada Post have been suspended since mid-June. This comes after two cancelled prior meetings. CUPW, which represents about 55,000 postal workers from coast-to-coast-to-coast, sent a letter to Canada Post. They brought in federal mediators to assist in re-setting negotiations. This news comes following the announcement of record financial losses at Canada Post.
In its second quarter report issued Tuesday, Canada Post reported a $407 million pre-tax loss. This operating loss is caused by a downturn in the company’s parcels business. The ongoing labor uncertainties have hurt the film and entertainment sector. The labor disputes have further contributed to the erosion of consumer confidence and business activity across the parcels sector.
CUPW voted to reject Canada Post’s most recent contract offers by a 99% vote, cast at the start of August. They contended that these proposals did not adequately serve the needs of their union members. The union pointed to the lack of windows for negotiations as a major lost opportunity. Canada Post should have considered the feedback provided and allowed for the opportunity to adjust their proposals.
“We should point out that during our time away from the table, CPC should have been working on revising their proposals to address our two offers,” noted a CUPW representative.
The negotiations are under heavy strain. In fact, both of the recently-scheduled meetings between CUPW and Canada Post were cancelled. CUPW members are shoring up the union’s response as the offensive situation unfolds. They’ve asked for the assistance of federal mediators to ensure that they’re able to make further progress when they meet again.
CUPW aims to “provide answers to a series of questions that Canada Post asked after reviewing our comprehensive offers tabled on August 20,” further illustrating the union’s commitment to resolving the issues at hand and reaching an agreement that satisfies its members.
The negotiations’ outcome will be incredibly important for both sides. They deserve to have a secure job, even amid the tough economic situation for which Canada Post—a Crown corporation—has no blame. Rescheduling that meeting would be an important first step. That includes protecting postal workers’ health and safety, and mitigating the impact of growing harm to Canada Post’s operations by declining parcel volumes.
