Canada Post labour talks appear stalled as strike deadline nears

The 60-day strike mandate for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is set to expire at the end of the day on Thursday. The sides have been negotiating on a new contract for nine months.

TheStar.com
Aug. 24, 2016
By Vanessa Lu

After months of contract talks, the union representing 50,000 postal workers looks set to serve its 72-hour strike notice on Thursday, as its strike mandate is set to expire at the end of the day.

“Canada Post is maintaining its unacceptable demands, rollbacks,” said chief negotiators in a bulletin to members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on Wednesday. “If nothing changes between now and tomorrow, we will be issuing our 72-hour notice of strike activity.”

However, the bulletin added that “it is critical that we all continue to show up for work unless otherwise notified by our national union.”

Bargaining talks have heated up in recent days as federal politicians, including Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk and Treasury Board president Scott Brison, have met with union officials and Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra.

Key issues have included the company’s push to switch all new hires to a defined contribution pension plan and the ability to close nearly 500 union-staffed retail locations. The union has also called for equalizing pay among rural carriers, who are mostly women, with urban carriers.

The union would be unlikely to shut down the entire postal service, and during the last dispute in 2011, it held rotating strikes in different cities until the company locked out workers. The federal government then brought in back-to-work legislation, which has since been deemed unconstitutional.

Last week, the union asked the company to agree to extend the strike mandate, good for only 60 days, arguing it would be time consuming and cost-prohibitive to hold another strike vote in time. Management refused, saying it would be inappropriate.

“If the union wants another strike mandate from their members‎, they should ask their dues-paying members, not the employer,” said Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton, arguing it would only result in further uncertainty for employees and Canadians about the postal service.

After nine months of negotiations, Hamilton said the two sides remain far apart.

“The union continues to press for more than $1 billion in demands with no appreciation for the current and troubling future state of the postal service caused by declining mail volumes and increasing pension obligations,” he said.

“Canada Post remains committed to negotiating agreements that are fair to our employees, and allow is to continue to provide affordable pricing and service to Canadians.”

The company had previously served notice it would lock out workers in July, but then withdrew the threat.