Canada Post Rejects Union’s Arbitration Plan, Talks Stall
Efforts by the federal government to help Canada Post and the union representing 55,000 postal workers reach a deal hit a major problem on Monday.
Canada Post has rejected a plan from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to use binding arbitration. This comes just five days after Labour Minister Patty Hajdu asked both sides to work toward that solution to end the dispute.
Canada Post spokesperson Lisa Liu said the union ignored an important federal report that called for big changes to how Canada Post operates. The report suggested things like more flexible delivery routes and weekend jobs with good pay and benefits.
“The union’s refusal to recognize the report and its recommendations is unacceptable,” Liu said.
The union still wants to go back to the bargaining table to work out a new contract. But they say Canada Post is trying to avoid real talks and wants to change existing agreements with help from the government.
“Canada Post doesn’t want to negotiate. It wants to use government interference to get what it wants,” the union said in a statement.
Canada Post disagrees, saying the union hasn’t replied to its latest offer, made on May 28. While some messages were shared through federal mediators last week, there hasn’t been much direct contact between the two sides.
At the same time, the union is asking members to sign a letter to the Labour Minister. The letter opposes the idea of a forced vote on Canada Post’s final offer. The union says a vote like that would be unfair and could divide workers.
The letter also warns that the result could cause bad feelings among staff, no matter how the vote turns out.
Union president Jan Simpson reminded members to stay united, saying: “Although tensions are high, let’s not forget our fight is with the employer, not each other.”
Canada Post’s latest offer includes several changes:
-
Ending required overtime
-
Bonuses of $500 to $1,000
-
Cost-of-living payments if inflation gets too high
-
A 14% wage increase over four years
-
Hiring part-time workers for weekend parcel delivery — a major issue for the union
Last week, Minister Hajdu urged both sides to return to talks and agree on arbitration. She also asked them to keep trying to make a deal outside of arbitration. But now, neither option seems to be working.
Although the union backed down from a strike last month, it has banned overtime work since May 23. A full strike would be the second one in six months. The last one lasted 32 days during the busy holiday shipping season.
