DHL Express Canada has sparked a significant outcry through its lockout of workers. As a result, the union responded by taking assertive action and began a strike. Wage restraint Unifor represents over 2,000 DHL truck drivers, couriers and warehouse and call center agents in Canada. The illegal acts the union says American has committed have eroded workers’ rights to a stable workplace.
According to Unifor national president Lana Payne, the lockout is a direct reaction to changes in federal labour law on the horizon. These amendments will prohibit the use of replacement workers during strikes, starting June 20. This new measure is anticipated to greatly cripple DHL’s operational capabilities.
DHL is calling on federal authorities to intervene. This action is a thinly-veiled attempt for the company to continue business as usual and not be held accountable to their employees’ justifiable concerns. Payne stated, “This sets a dangerous precedent in labour relations and removes the employer incentive to negotiate and settle fair contracts.”
So far, in reaction to the delivery disruption, DHL Express Canada has announced it would suspend service across the country while the strike continues. This bad decision will lead to elimination of over 2,800 jobs. While the shutdown came in seriously dubious tactical timing, this action underscores the company’s unwillingness to operate without its workers with increased tensions.
DHL Express Canada is calling on the federal government to intervene. Their goal is to keep service running and negotiate with the union. Union leaders have blasted this ask. They contend that it violates workers’ basic rights to strike and pursue a contract with fair working conditions.
The union’s legal position underscores that permitting replacement workers to cross the picket line would substantially chill and damage the collective bargaining process. Payne rejected the company’s intimidation campaign, calling it an effort to undermine union strength and further erode protections for workers.
