Latest news with #CUPW
CTV News
9 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘Devil is in the details': Canada Post union negotiator urges members to vote against latest offer
CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant on why the union is encouraging worker to reject Canada Post's latest contract offer. As unionized workers at Canada Post begin voting on the Crown corporation's latest offer, one of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers' (CUPW) negotiators is urging members to vote against it, slamming Canada Post for trying to 'control people's lives.' Jim Gallant told CTV Your Morning in an interview Monday that despite the 18-month long negotiation, the latest offer is still not up to the mark, emphasizing 'the devil is in the details.' 'The wording that they have, and this language, just open a wide door that they could drive a motor home through to get what they want,' he said after reading through all the offer documents. Roughly 55,000 unionized Canada Post workers began voting on Monday, after the federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to intervene and put the latest offer to a vote. Meanwhile, Gallant describes the agreement as the opposite of flexible. 'They use the word 'flexibility', but this collective agreement is about control,' he said. 'They want to control people's lives, where you go to work for four hours and by the time you're at work you have to stay for eight hours.' CUPW, along with the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers and Urban Bargaining Committees, unanimously recommended that Canada Post's final offer be rejected, according a news release by the CUPW. 'These offers fall short of what we've earned, ignore the realities on the work floor, fail to address key demands, and threaten hard-won protections,' the news release said. 'Worse still, Canada Post—backed by the Government—is setting a dangerous precedent,' the press release added. 'From the start, management has shown little interest in fair negotiations. Instead, they're using this forced vote to sidestep bargaining and impose their terms without our consent.' The Crown corporation's offer includes a hike in wages of around 13 per cent over four years and adds part-time workers. Jon Hamilton, a Canada Post spokesperson, said the Crown corporation had operating losses amounting to $10 million a day through June, and in the event the vote is negative, the uncertainty will continue. According to a survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) released on Monday, a postal strike could cause the corporation to permanently lose up to 63 per cent of businesses. 'Small business owners deserve a long-term plan and a postal service they can count on,' Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of advocacy at CFIB said in the survey report. According to the CFIB, more than 70 per cent of businesses have encouraged customers to use digital methods, 45 per cent have put their faith in private couriers and 27 per cent delayed mail. 'People can't take care of their children or parents,' Gallant says. 'We need things so we have a reasonable day and know about that day before we show up.' With files from CTV News' Paul Hollingsworth and the Canadian Press
CTV News
18 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Canada Post Your Morning chat
CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant on why the union is encouraging worker to reject Canada Post's latest contract offer. CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant on why the union is encouraging worker to reject Canada Post's latest contract offer. HL: Canada Post union negotiators urge members to vote against the latest offer from the Crown corporation HL: 'Devil is in the details': Canada Post union negotiators urge members to vote against the latest offer HL: 'They want to control people's lives': Canada Post union negotiators challenge the Crown corps latest offer GHL: Canada Post union negotiators urge members to vote no As unionized workers at Canada Post begin voting on the Crown corporation's latest offer, the president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is urging members to vote against it, slamming the corporation for trying to 'control people's lives.' Jim Gallant told CTV Your Morning in an interview Monday that despite the 18-month long negotiation, the latest offer is still not up to the mark, emphasizing 'the devil is in the details.' 'The wording that they have, and this language, just open a wide door that they could drive a motor home through to get what they want,' he said after reading through all the offer documents. Roughly 55,000 unionized Canada Post workers began voting on Monday, after the federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to intervene and put the latest offer to a vote. Meanwhile, Gallant describes the agreement as the opposite of flexible. 'They use the word 'flexibility', but this collective agreement is about control,' he said. 'They want to control people's lives, where you go to work for four hours and by the time you're at work you have to stay for eight hours.' CUPW, along with the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers and Urban Bargaining Committees, unanimously recommended that Canada Post's final offer be rejected, according a news release by the CUPW. 'These offers fall short of what we've earned, ignore the realities on the work floor, fail to address key demands, and threaten hard-won protections,' the news release said. 'Worse still, Canada Post—backed by the Government—is setting a dangerous precedent,' the press release added. 'From the start, management has shown little interest in fair negotiations. Instead, they're using this forced vote to sidestep bargaining and impose their terms without our consent.' The Crown corporation's offer includes a hike in wages of around 13 per cent over four years and adds part-time workers. Jon Hamilton, a Canada Post spokesperson, said the Crown corporation had operating losses amounting to $10 million a day through June, and in the event the vote is negative, the uncertainty will continue. According to a survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) released on Monday, a postal strike could cause the corporation to permanently lose up to 63 per cent of businesses. 'Small business owners deserve a long-term plan and a postal service they can count on,' Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of advocacy at CFIB said in the survey report. According to the CFIB, more than 70 per cent of businesses have encouraged customers to use digital methods, 45 per cent have put their faith in private couriers and 27 per cent delayed mail. 'People can't take care of their children or parents,' Gallant says. 'We need things so we have a reasonable day and know about that day before we show up.' With files from CTV News' Paul Hollingsworth and the Canadian Press
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
As the CUPW votes on new deal, businesses are already leaving Canada Post
As Canada Post employees vote on a proposed new contract, many businesses have already given up on the crown corporation following a pair of work stoppages. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which represents 55,000 Canada Post employees, is being forced to vote on a new deal despite not reaching an agreement in 18 months of negotiations. Canada Post has said its latest offer addresses employees' major concerns and builds on previous offers, though the CUPW says it 'outright ignored our positions' when it comes to the union's big concerns. These disruptions have taken a toll on Canadian businesses. In December, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses reported that the Canada Post strike was costing small- and medium-sized businesses about $76.6 million each day. Now, many are considering walking away from the service all together. The CFIB reported on Monday that 63 per cent of Canadian businesses are prepared to leave Canada Post permanently, and 13 per cent of small businesses already left the service during the 2024 strike. 'Yo-yoing in and out of strike mandates is causing Canada's small businesses — one of Canada Post's last groups of profitable customers — to leave for good,' said CFIB president Dan Kelly said in a news release. 'Small business owners and other consumers need certainty.' Currently, about 80 per cent of Canadian businesses use Canada Post for sending cheques and letter mail, according to the CFIB. When it comes to packages, Canada Post holds a much smaller market share, which has dropped from 63 per cent in 2019 to just 24 per cent today, according to the corporation's annual report. The CFIB data shows that 73 per cent of small businesses now rely on private couriers for package delivery. 'The current model at Canada Post is in dire need of massive reform,' Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of advocacy at CFIB, said in the news release. 'It's long overdue for the federal government to implement the well-studied changes that have been required for over a decade. Small business owners deserve a long-term plan and a postal service they can count on.' While businesses might be prepared to walk away from Canada Post, individual Canadians appear willing to support it further. Canada Post to start voting on contract offer Canada Post reaches deal with second-largest union A recent poll from the Angus Reid Institute found that 61 per cent of Canadians would contribute a $20 annual subsidy to support Canada Post and its mandate of universal, cross-country service. 'Canadians do treasure their postal service, but at the same time, they are open to big changes,' Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, said last month. With files from Naimul Karim and Gigi Suhanic Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Global News
a day ago
- Business
- Global News
Canada Post workers begin to vote on ‘final' offers amid strike fears
Canada Post's unionized workers are starting to vote on what the Crown corporation calls its 'final' offers, even as the union urges members to reject the proposals. The vote began Monday at 7 a.m. eastern and will continue until 5 p.m. on Aug. 1. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) represents more than 53,000 members. The offer from Canada Post includes a wage increase, a signing bonus, and maintaining a defined benefit pension and job security clauses. The company said it will also end mandatory overtime. The company is no longer proposing a new health benefits plan, changes to employees' post-retirement benefits or enrolling future employees in the defined contribution pension. The Crown corporation is facing 'significant challenges' and posted a nearly $1.3-billion operating loss for 2024, while revenues fell by $800 million, or 12.2 per cent, compared with 2023. Story continues below advertisement Jim Gallant, a CUPW negotiator, told Global BC on Sunday that the union is hoping members vote no so the parties can 'get back to the table and get a negotiated settlement.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The big thing about the no vote is if people vote no, it's not going to be Jim Gallant sitting at the table saying, 'This is what we want,' I'm going to have 55,000 behind myself and the other negotiators because the members of the union will have said, 'No, that's not good enough and Canada Post is going to have to do better,'' Gallant said. 0:44 Canada Post reaches deal with CPAA, its 2nd largest union But Canada Post said in a statement on Saturday that it hopes employees 'see that these final offers provide certainty for you and your customers,' and said the vote was confidential. 'It's a big decision, and you've likely heard a lot about the vote and our final offers,' the Crown corporation wrote in a post on X. 'Like any vote, it's ultimately about what you believe is best for you.' Story continues below advertisement In its post, Canada Post said the offer would begin to make 'critical changes' to help the Crown corporation grow its parcel business to meet the 'evolving needs' of Canadian businesses and Canadians. According to Canada Post, if the offers are accepted by members, they will become new four-year collective agreements that will stay in place until Jan. 31, 2028. The nearly two-week vote comes after Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board in June to put the Crown corporation's latest offers to a vote directly by members of the union following stalled negotiations. That process was criticized Thursday by CUPW president Jan Simpson, who called it 'plagued by chaos, confusion, and uncertainty,' and said some members have informed the union they could not register their emails. Canada Post and the CUPW have been engaged in a more than 18-month-long period of negotiations and subsequent strike activity, which the Crown corporation says increased the company's financial losses at a rate of $10 million per day in June.
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Unionized workers at Canada Post to start voting on contract offer
Social Sharing Unionized workers at Canada Post begin voting on the Crown corporation's latest contract offer on Monday. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is urging they reject the proposal. Canada Post is at an impasse with the union representing roughly 55,000 postal service workers after more than a year and a half of talks. The vote comes after federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to step in and put the Crown corporation's latest offer to a vote. The offer includes wage hikes of about 13 per cent over four years but also adds part-time workers that Canada Post has said are necessary to keep the postal service afloat. The Crown corporation's operating losses amounted to $10 million a day in June, said Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton. "We hope our employees see these offers provide certainty for the road ahead and vote yes to make them their new collective agreements," he said in a statement. "If the vote is positive, the offers become new collective agreements effective until Jan. 31, 2028. If not, Canada Post won't speculate other than to say the uncertainty will continue." Union national president Jan Simpson has said a strong no vote would not only reject the offer, but also protect the integrity of the bargaining process. A postal strike could push 63 per cent businesses to walk away from Canada Post permanently, according to a survey released Monday by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. It said around 13 per cent of small firms already stopped using Canada Post after the 2024 strike. CFIB estimates that work stoppage cost small businesses between $75 million to $100 million each day. It says more than 70 per cent of businesses responded to the disruptions by encouraging customers to use digital options, 45 per cent turned to private couriers, while 27 per cent delayed mail.
