Latest news with #DavidSteiner
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada Post Workers Begin Overtime Ban After Failing to Reach Deal
With the negotiating deadline for two new contracts passing on midnight Friday, 50,000 union postal workers at Canada Post began a national overtime ban. The labor action does not constitute a nationwide strike or work stoppage, calming the fears of businesses that use Canada Post to ship mail and parcels after a previous month-long strike hampered the 2024 holiday season. More from Sourcing Journal Canada Cools US Trade Tensions By Drawing Down Retaliatory Duties Canadian Courier Strike Risks Intensify at Canada Post, DHL Express USPS Appoints David Steiner as Postmaster General But although Canada Post will continue operating, the courier says its customers may experience delays. Canada Post said in an update Friday that it has already seen parcel and mail volumes decline 'significantly' as customers prepared for another potential labor disruption. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which is conducting the overtime ban, said the uncertainty ahead of the action 'has already pushed some customers to our competitors.' More than three-quarters (79 percent) of small business owners rely on Canada Post services to do business, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Jan Simpson, national president of the CUPW, said in a bulletin that the union went with an overtime ban instead of a full strike to 'minimize disruptions to the public, and lost days to members.' The CUPW committed to the ban on Thursday night ahead of the expiration of the collective bargaining agreements with both its urban postal workers and its rural and suburban segment. With the ban, union members will refuse to work beyond the typical eight-hours-per-day schedule, and won't work more than 40 hours in a week. It is unclear whether the union's activity will escalate, but the labor group said additional actions may take place if Canada Post changes current working conditions, suspends benefits or begins layoffs. On Wednesday, the Crown corporation presented the CUPW with two separate offers that increased wages 6 percent in year one, 3 percent in year two, and then another 2 percent each in years three and four. The courier also tacked on six added personal days into the collective agreement. For the urban union members, Canada Post is creating two new types of part-time delivery jobs aimed at helping the company compete in parcel delivery for seven days a week. This means letter carriers won't be required to work weekend shifts. The rural change is vaguer, with the company saying it is streamlining its staffing model to support weekend delivery. Additionally, Canada Post is proposing a dynamic routing model for its urban unit, in which where routes are planned and optimized daily to align workloads, prevent the overburdening of employees with volumes and create more predictable service for customers. But the union said both proposals fell short, citing that the 13-percent wage increase over four years fails to keep up with rising costs of living. The wage proposal surpassed the 11.5-percent raise offer made during the holiday strike, but the union is currently seeking a 19-percent pay hike. The CUPW also criticized the increased focus on part-time employees within the urban carrier unit. 'Instead of using regular full-time workers and existing collective agreement provisions for seven-day delivery, they want to introduce approximately 20 percent more part-time positions than the 10 percent that exists today,' said Simpson. CUPW argued that the six extra personal days on offer are 'window dressing' and already allotted in the Canada Labour Code. The union also posed concerns about deploying dynamic routing without established rules governing the system. On Thursday, the CUPW proposed a two-week truce to continue negotiations without the threat of a strike or a lockout, but Canada Post refused. Final talks that evening included a federal mediator, but the meeting only lasted less than 30 minutes. With the overtime ban in place, both urban letter carriers and rural and suburban mail carriers will return to the depot and drop off their mail after eight hours' work, regardless of whether they have completed their routes. The ongoing labor dispute has endured since the November-December strike, which ended on a back-to-work order from Canada's labor relations board. This extended the prior collective bargaining agreements to the May 22 deadline. After a series of on-and-off negotiations in 2025 which saw the parties walk away from the negotiating table multiple times, the CUPW authorized a 72-hour strike notice on Monday. The strike notice followed an industrial inquiry commission report on the negotiations that painted a bleak picture of Canada Post's financial health. 'Canada Post is facing an existential crisis: It is effectively insolvent, or bankrupt. Without thoughtful, measured, staged, but immediate changes, its fiscal situation will continue to deteriorate,' the report said. Canada's post office has incurred over $3 billion Canadian dollars ($2.2 billion) in losses since 2018, with the federal government having to loan $1 billion ($720 million) to the courier in January to ensure it 'can maintain its solvency' through the 2025-26 fiscal year. For the negotiations, the report suggested both parties to allow Canada Post to close more rural post offices, expand community mailboxes, and give the postal service flexibility to hire part-time workers for weekend parcel delivery.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian Courier Strike Risks Intensify at Canada Post, DHL Express
Canada's couriers could endure multiple work stoppages over the next month that would slow down parcel delivery throughout the country. While 55,000 union postal workers at Canada Post are still looking to settle two contracts ahead of a potential May 22 negotiating deadline, another 2,500 workers at DHL Express voted 97 percent in favor of authorizing a strike set for June 8 if talks don't amount to a new contract. More from Sourcing Journal USPS Appoints David Steiner as Postmaster General Importers Turn to Bonded Warehouses and FTZs to Dodge Tariff Costs CN, CPKC Brace for West Coast Slowdown but Canadian Ports Hold Strong On Tuesday, Canada Post negotiators informed the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that they were leaving the negotiation table, citing that 'a temporary pause is necessary' after several days of discussions 'without meaningful progress.' In mid-November, the union went on strike for a month, ultimately leading to some parcel and mail delays around Christmas. Canada's labor relations board issued a back-to-work order to end the stoppage, extending the prior collective bargaining agreements to late May. Canada Post said Tuesday's pause is designed to help members prepare new proposals to help move the discussions forward. No date has been set for when those offers will be revealed. The union called the move 'reprehensible,' saying it keeps workers and the public 'on edge.' 'Throughout the entire bargaining process, Canada Post has refused to take responsibility for the financial situation it finds itself in,' said the CUPW in a statement. 'They have also ignored our offer to use existing collective agreement language to allow for weekend delivery.' The move comes ahead of a report expected to be released by a government-assembled inquiry commission on Thursday, which will recommend Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon on how to approach the situation ahead of the negotiating deadline. The union alleged Canada Post will make new offers 'immediately' after the report's release. Along with a second strike, there's also a possibility that Canada Post could lock out the employees. The DHL employees who authorized a June strike Saturday after a weeklong vote are represented by 320,000-member Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union. The union entered negotiations with the logistics provider back in September, with the parties having spent more than 25 days at the bargaining table. But both sides remain far apart on almost all issues, according to Unifor, which said the company has refused to engage in monetary discussions. Sourcing Journal reached out to DHL. The union workers, which consist of truck drivers, couriers, warehouse and clerical workers, conducted the strike vote on the grounds that DHL's offers were 'insufficient.' The staff is demanding guaranteed hours with no subcontracting to other firms, as well as increased wages that surpass inflation. Unifor says DHL has been 'aggressively reducing' hourly workers from full-time to part-time in locations across the country. Among its grievances, the union is seeking access to safe, clean bathrooms and clearer employee seniority lists, and is concerned with issues like rerouting of trucks, member productivity and terminations. 'There is an unprecedented level of confrontation at DHL,' said Unifor Quebec director Daniel Cloutier in a statement. The next round of negotiations will take place from June 1-8. Like Canada Post, DHL could also opt to lock out its employees ahead of strike action. As the Canada Post labor situation unfolds, UPS is tacking on extra 'surge fees' for shipments from the U.S. to Canada starting May 18, four days ahead of contracts' expiration. UPS is likely to be an alternative for shippers if another work stoppage occurs at Canada Post, which would flow more packages into its network. A 49 cents-per-package surcharge will be tacked on for UPS Standard shipments to Canada, while deliveries via the low-cost, less urgent UPS Worldwide Economy option will include a $1.25-per-pound fee. Standard shipping often carries a three-to-five day shipping time, while Worldwide Economy shipments take five-to-12 days to reach their destination. The courier's Worldwide Express, Saver, Express Plus, Expedited and Express Freight offerings will have a 49 cents-per-pound charge. All surcharges will be in effect until further notice. UPS levies these fees in times when service is under duress under high demand periods, such as ahead of the holiday season, and again in March and then April as Chinese goods flooded the U.S. ahead of tariffs and the closure of the de minimis provision. Surge fees may be implemented based on regular assessments of shipping volume, available capacity and other considerations, UPS says.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Huge great white shark spotted swimming near surfers in Pismo Beach. See the video
After surfing for 34 years, David Steiner knows he's not alone in the ocean. The idea of creatures lurking beneath the waves used to freak him out. But now, the Arroyo Grande resident is a bit of a shark enthusiast — and he captures drone footage of the 'king of the ocean' whenever he can. In April, he took videos of great white sharks swimming near Oceano and Pismo Beach. He posted the videos on his Instagram @caveman_476. One video shows a massive shark slowly cruising through the shallow waters off Pismo Beach as surfers wait to catch waves nearby. 'They're definitely seasonal, and they're back in town,' he said. Seeing the sharks on video and understanding their habits eased his fears about encountering them. 'I started really watching what they were doing, and they were just ignoring surfers completely,' Steiner said. 'That kind of helps my mentality with staying in the water.' In 2022, he saw an 8-foot-long shark and a 10-foot-long shark swimming together, and he sailed closer to check them out. 'It's kind of surreal, because, you know you probably shouldn't be tempting fate,' Steiner said. 'But it's too hard to not take the opportunity to just have a longer glance at them.' Normally, he sees sharks swimming out past the furthest waves. When the waves are tall, the sharks travel deeper into the ocean. When the surf is flat, sharks swim about 100 feet from shore, he said. 'They're just like the perfect creature,' he said. 'They're so still. Like, when I had one just right next to me, I didn't know it was there, and then I realized, we never know they're there.' Back in April, Steiner said his friend was chased out of the water by a great white shark between Pier Avenue and Grand Avenue in Oceano. So on April 16, Steiner packed up his drone and set out to find the shark. 'I flew it up and immediately saw it,' he said. For three days, the shark swam to the same spot at 10:45 a.m. Steiner suspected that the shark was hunting for fish in the rip current. Steiner then took the drone to Pismo Beach on his 49th birthday. On April 21, he spotted a 12-foot-long shark that he called Big Mama. 'I swear to God, this thing's body was so fat, I thought it was somebody's boat. I thought it was an orca. And then when I saw it was a great white, I was trembling,' he said. The shark swam near a group of surfers, and Steiner started to worry. 'I have tried flying my drone in people's faces, and they don't react anyway,' he said. 'They wave you off, they don't know what you're trying to tell them. There's no speaker.' Steiner moved his drone above the shark, and luckily, the surfers paddled to shore. When he later posted the video on Instagram, a surfer messaged him and said when he saw the drone, he decided to stop surfing for the day just in case there was a shark nearby. Steiner had a message for swimmers on the Central Coast: 'Don't be afraid of the water,' he said. 'The lack of incidents proves to me that they're not interested.' Steiner recounted an incident in 2019, when a shark approached his paddle board in the water off Oceano. He paddled out about 100 feet from shore, then spotted a 13-foot-long great white shark beside him in the water. 'It popped up right in front of me, and it was bigger than my board,' he said. Then, the shark darted through the water — leaving not a ripple on the surface of the ocean. 'It turned, made a U-turn, and it came to the other side of me and stopped,' he said. A wave rocked the paddle board, and Steiner fell into the water, landing in the patch of ocean where the shark had just appeared. 'I was just waiting to get bit,' Steiner said, but the shark swam away — uninterested in him. To calm himself down, Steiner visualized the videos he'd seen of sharks swimming around surfers without interest. He figured that sharks swim near humans every day without taking a bite. San Luis Obispo County's last recorded fatal great white shark attack happened near Morro Rock in 2021. Before that, only two fatal shark attacks had been recorded in recent history, one in Morro Bay in 1957 and another in Avila Beach in 2003. Considering the number of non-lethal shark encounters that occur regularly, Steiner doesn't worry too much about the big fish. In fact, when he's windsurfing, Steiner will sometimes approach sharks to get a closer look. 'You just, kind of, ride with them and watch them swim. They're not concerned with you,' he said. 'They're just, like, the king of the ocean.'
CNN
09-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
FedEx board member David Steiner to be next US postmaster general
The US Postal Service Board of Governors announced Friday that David Steiner, a board member at FedEx, will be the next postmaster general – a move that comes amid concerns the Trump administration will push for privatization of the independent government agency. Steiner, who also served in leadership roles at Waste Management, will now oversee a mail delivery service that employs 635,000 workers. In a statement Friday, he said he is committed to maintaining the USPS's independence. 'I deeply admire the public service and business mission of this amazing institution, and I believe strongly in maintaining its role as an independent establishment of the executive branch,' Steiner said. Steiner's appointment comes after his predecessor, Louis DeJoy, abruptly resigned in late March, a month after he told the board to begin looking for his successor. DeJoy served in the top role for five years, helming the agency through the pandemic, financial losses and elections that saw surges in mail-ballots. In response to reports earlier this week that Steiner could be named the next postmaster general, Rep. Gerry Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, warned that Steiner's appointment would be a 'blatant conflict of interest and an attempt by President Trump to install a handpicked loyalist.' Following the board's announcement, Connolly and Government Operations Subcommittee ranking member Rep. Kweisi Mfume said the panel 'will be keeping a very close eye on the actions of the new Postmaster.' 'The American people deserve and expect an independent, fair, and accessible Postal Service that operates without prejudice or political influence,' the Democrats said in a statement. 'It is our sincere hope that as Postmaster General, Mr. Steiner will put the interests of the American people and the U.S. Postal Service ahead of any whims or demands of an Administration that has failed to respect the independence of this trusted institution and has instead worked to undermine and privatize America's mail service.' Steiner, who said he is looking 'forward to engaging with' unions, is already facing pushback. The National Association of Letter Carriers, a union that represents mail carriers, said earlier this week that Steiner's selection would be a conflict of interest given his role at FedEx, one of USPS' competitors. 'His selection isn't just a conflict of interest—it's an aggressive step toward handing America's mail system over to corporate interests,' NALC President Brian Renfroe said in a statement Tuesday. 'Private shippers have been waiting to get USPS out of parcel delivery for years. Steiner's selection is an open invitation to do just that.' Steiner will step down from FedEx's Board of Directors, USPS said in its announcement. The former executive is expected to formally join the independent agency in July. President Donald Trump has called for major changes to USPS, which is already several years into a reorganization effort. He has floated plans to give Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick oversight of the agency, which is currently overseen by its board of governors, not a Cabinet secretary. The president has also suggested a 'merger.' 'Well, we want to have a post office that works well and doesn't lose massive amounts of money, and we're thinking about doing that, and it will be a form of a merger,' Trump said at Lutnick's swearing-in ceremony in February. 'It'll remain the Postal Service, and I think it'll operate a lot better than it has been over the years.' The move could be a first step towards privatization – a change tech billionaire and White House adviser Elon Musk called for in March. Before DeJoy departed the agency, he made an agreement with the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to work with the USPS, focusing on retirement assets and the Workers' Compensation Program. In a letter sent in March to Congress announcing the agency's collaboration with DOGE, DeJoy also previewed plans to slash 10,000 employees through a voluntary early retirement program – adding to the roughly 30,000 employees who were cut from the agency since 2021.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
USPS names new Postmaster General, Sen. Jon Ossoff issues statement
The Brief David Steiner, FedEx board member and former Waste Management CEO, is set to become the next Postmaster General, sparking fears of USPS privatization. Postal unions strongly oppose the appointment, citing conflict of interest. Sen. Jon Ossoff says he will review Steiner's record. The Postal Service continues to face major financial losses, service gaps, and criticism over its 10-year modernization plan, Delivering for America. ATLANTA - As the U.S. Postal Service enters a critical phase of transition and financial instability, the USPS Board of Governors has named David Steiner as the next Postmaster General, according to The Associated Press. The announcement was made Friday by Amber McReynolds, chairperson of the USPS' Board of Governors. What we know Steiner is the former CEO of Waste Management Inc. and currently serves on the board of FedEx, a direct competitor to the Postal Service in parcel delivery. While Steiner plans to resign from the FedEx board, his appointment has stirred widespread concern among postal workers and unions. Amber McReynolds defended the selection, calling Steiner "the right person to lead the Postal Service at this time" and citing his "tremendous vision, experience and skill." She emphasized the board's intent to maintain USPS's universal service mandate while improving financial sustainability. The appointment comes as USPS continues its 10-year modernization strategy, Delivering for America, launched under Louis DeJoy in 2021. DeJoy resigned in March following harsh criticism over mail delays and increased postage costs. The agency reported a $3.3 billion loss in the last quarter, though noted rising package revenue and falling transportation costs. PREVIOUS: USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy resigns amid possible DOGE cuts, Georgia mail delays What they're saying Steiner said he was "honored to be asked to lead the world's greatest postal organization" and expressed support for the Postal Service's public mission. "I believe strongly in maintaining its role as an independent establishment of the executive branch," he said. But union leaders are not convinced. Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, blasted the decision: "His selection isn't just a conflict of interest — it's an aggressive step toward handing America's mail system over to corporate interests." Renfroe's union represents over 200,000 active and retired letter carriers. Mark Dimondstein of the American Postal Workers Union went further: "FedEx has a very different agenda than the public postal service. … That's the last type of person you would put in charge of this public institution." Don Maston of the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association urged Steiner to uphold the Postal Service's founding mission: "The Postal Service is not a business in the traditional sense — it is a national network that binds the country together." Local perspective Georgia has been especially hard-hit by ongoing mail delivery issues, and Sen. Jon Ossoff has been one of the most vocal critics of USPS leadership in Washington. In a letter to the Board of Governors, Ossoff said mail delays in Georgia have reached unacceptable levels, calling the agency's leadership "an abysmal failure." "My constituents, and I cannot emphasize this strongly enough, are beside themselves at the consistent and recurring failure of USPS leadership to execute their basic mission in Georgia," Ossoff wrote. Sen. Ossoff sent the following statement to FOX 5 Atlanta about Steiner's selection: "I will review Mr. Steiner's record, but it's too early for me to pass judgment on his qualifications and how he'll approach the job. While I've urged the Board of Governors to move quickly, it's even more important that they get this right and that the next Postmaster General be up to the task." USPS data released last month revealed Georgia's First-Class Mail service was 7.7% below the national average. Ossoff has also raised alarms about delays impacting Georgia veterans, including late prescription deliveries and missed VA appointment notices. PREVIOUS STORIES Sen. Jon Ossoff demands answers for mail delays affecting Georgia veterans USPS postmaster general plans to step down, Georgia reaction Georgia mail delays: Ossoff, Dejoy tangle during Senate hearing Sen. Jon Ossoff seeks more control over postmaster general after mail issues Ossoff: 'Further improvements' needed for Georgia's mail delays By the numbers Here's a breakdown of the numbers: $78 billion: USPS annual operating budget $3.3 billion: USPS loss last quarter $2.5 billion: Considered "uncontrollable" expenses 220,000+: APWU members impacted by leadership changes 7.7%: Georgia's First-Class Mail service performance gap below national average 167 million: Number of addresses served by USPS 205,000: Letter carriers represented by NALC The backstory The Trump administration, with support from the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk, has floated ideas of USPS privatization or moving the agency under the Commerce Department. These moves, paired with the appointment of a private-sector executive from a competing company, have amplified fears that parts of USPS operations could be outsourced or dismantled. McReynolds insisted the decision was made independently and that an international search firm, Egon Zehnder, conducted the executive search process. A statement from the board confirmed that the choice of postmaster general rests solely with the governors. Why you should care The Postal Service remains one of the country's most relied-upon public institutions, especially in rural areas and states like Georgia where broadband, pharmacies, and other services may be less accessible. With universal delivery hanging in the balance and privatization whispers growing louder, the agency's leadership will likely shape not just mail logistics, but public trust in one of the few services that still reaches every American. Other Georgia Reaction Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) released the following statement on David Steiner's confirmation as the new United States Postmaster General. "This change in leadership at USPS is long overdue. Georgians have been subjected to lost packages, poor customer service, and abject failure by the USPS for years," said Rep. Mike Collins. "It is my hope that under David Steiner's leadership, we can see a USPS that finally meets the needs of Georgians and fulfills its mission to our state and country. I'm looking forward to changes at the agency and will be following closely." What's next Steiner is expected to assume office in July, pending clearance. In the meantime, oversight from lawmakers like Sen. Ossoff will continue as pressure mounts to improve service performance. With the USPS at a pivotal crossroads, all eyes will be on whether the incoming postmaster can stabilize the agency without dismantling its foundational mission.
