Latest news with #HandsOffMyPostOffice
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What is the Canada Post strike all about? Here's what to know about the corporation and its union
Canada Post has been notified of a possible strike on Friday after negotiations between the corporation and its workers have proven to be unsuccessful. On Wednesday, the union said it would be reviewing proposals from the corporation. However, the two sides have not been able to agree on basic terms thus far. According to a recently released report, they have 'diametrically opposed world views and assessments of the challenges to be faced and the solutions to them.' The report, called the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC), is the result of a series of hearings held between Canada Post and its union, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). In its latest proposals, Canada Post is offering a 13 per cent total wage increase for current employees, as well as 'better income replacement for leave under the short-term disability program, and six added personal days locked into the collective agreements.' The union said its decision to strike was made as the collective agreements for its bargaining units are set to expire on May 23 at midnight. These agreements were extended by the government in December 2024, after the union's last strike, which lasted 32 days. It came to an end after intervention from then minister of labour Steven MacKinnon, who requested that the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) order Canada Post employees back to work if it believed that an agreement wouldn't be reached by the end of the year. Union workers were ordered to get back on the job on Dec. 17, 2024. Although it put an end to striking, the issues remained unresolved. What followed were ongoing negotiations, which have continued until the eve of the expiration of the latest collective agreements. Here's what to know. The union has maintained that it wants 'fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office.' Canada Post employees who are part of CUPW are also fighting back against 'drastic cuts,' such as closing post offices, ending door-to-door delivery, expanding Community Mailboxes, outsourcing to franchises, and even privatization. The union launched a campaign called Hands Off My Post Office to raise awareness about these issues. 'Competing with U.S. e-commerce giants shouldn't mean lower standards. Workers deserve fair treatment, and Canadians deserve reliable, to-the-door service,' the union said. Canada Post has suffered major financial losses, which seem to be playing a role in its demands. It has said that it wants to reach collective agreements that protect workers and enhance wages and benefits 'while reflecting the Corporations' current realities.' 'Since 2018, the Corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024,' said Canada Post in a news release on Monday. 'In early 2025, the Government of Canada announced repayable funding of up to $1.034 billion for Canada Post to prevent insolvency.' A part-time weekend workforce and workweek efficiencies are an immediate priority for Canada Post, the IIC report stated. Commissioner William Kaplan called the union's proposals to grow its businesses 'unrealistic,' as are its plans to duplicate services provided by other companies, such as 'introducing postal banking, seniors check-ins, establishing artisanal markets at postal stations, and transforming postal stations into community social hubs.' 'In my view,' wrote Kaplan, 'given the financial crisis, Canada Post must focus on saving its core business, not on providing new services.' The report summarized the main sticking points between the union and Canada Post as the corporations financial situation, its need to diversify or alter its delivery models in response to current business demands, Canada Post's viability as it is currently configured, the union's negotiated commitments to job security and full-time employment and the need to protect the health and safety of employees. Weekend work is a major sticking point that both parties cannot seem to agree upon. The new offers from Canada Post, which are now under review, maintain the need for part-time work, which increases 'the company's delivery flexibility, especially on weekends, while ensuring that letter carriers are not required to work weekend shifts.' However, the union insists that 'preference should be given to full-time work,' it said in its weekend full-time concept and costing report in March. Canada Post also wants to end door-to-door delivery service, which is the first recommendation made in the IIC report, because it is a financial burden. The union says that the service is worth preserving because it meets the 'needs of the Canadian people, particularly the elderly and disabled, while community mailboxes presented accessibility and other challenges.' As part of its latest proposals, Canada Post said it wants to implement dynamic routing, which it says is an industry standard that involves planning and optimizing delivery routes daily and 'creating more consistent, predictable service for customers.' The report stated that the union agreed it could be cost-saving. But after a failed pilot project in 2017, Canada Post said the company and union could 'not agree on many of its core components.' What happened last time Canada Post workers went on a strike? Canada Post strike: What happens to the parcels already accepted? Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
CBC
09-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Where do parties stand on workers' rights? Hamilton labour leaders want answers this federal election
For Burlington, Ont., letter carrier Tracey Langille, the right to strike will be on her mind when she goes to vote in the federal election. Langille is among about 55,000 striking Canada Post workers who returned to the job in December after the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered an end to their roughly one-month strike. She's also president of Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Local 548, which represents about 1,600 members at 16 workplaces in the Hamilton area. Whenever the government intervenes in a strike, issues are left unsettled, Langille said at the time, calling the board's decision an "attack on labour." Canada Post workers were among others ordered to return to work while exercising their right to strike last year. In August, the federal labour board sent back striking rail workers, and in October, the federal labour minister said striking port workers in Quebec and British Columbia would have to return to their jobs. Letter carrier wants public services protected CUPW is challenging the constitutionality of the back-to-work order and took part in mediated negotiations with Canada Post in March. As well, a federal commission examining Canada Post may recommend changes, including to its collective agreement with workers. It is expected to report to the labour minister by May 15. Langille said negotiations have not resolved the outstanding issues, and worries the commission process will favour what the employer wants over the employees. In an April 3 statement on its website, Canada Post warned there could be a labour disruption as early as May 22. "This is not the message we hoped to be sharing at this time," it said. Langille said she and her co-workers have been "on pins and needles" waiting to find out what happens next. For them, Langille said, the future of Canada Post and other public institutions is an election issue. Canadians "deserve accessible and affordable public services," she said. CUPW is running a campaign called Hands Off My Post Office, which warns against privatizing the postal service — something the union accuses Canada Post of working toward. For its part, the employer says it's "committed to securing the future of the postal service by modernizing our operations and enhancing service." The CUPW campaign asks federal candidates to pledge their support. The union is not endorsing a party, but sent members an election "report card" grading major parties on a rubric, including their commitment to the right to strike and expanding postal services. Workers feel they're 'under attack' "Public service jobs are decent jobs, and that's something across the country that we have to fight for," said Marc LaPointe, a letter carrier in Guelph, Ont. "Decent jobs across this country are becoming harder and harder to come by." LaPointe, who is working on the Hands Off My Post Office campaign, said that in Canada, "workers feel like they're under attack" as they struggle to get by while the wealthy profit. Langille said her members worry about the cost of basics like food and housing, as well as economic uncertainty driven by the U.S.-Canada trade war. "They're concerned about where it stops," she said. "We don't know how much of a pinch everybody is going to feel." Mason Fitzpatrick is president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3906, which represents about 3,700 teaching assistants, sessional faculty, postdoctoral fellows and residence life workers. He said his members have similar concerns to those of the postal workers, especially since many are precariously employed. Like Langille and LaPointe, Fitzpatrick said the right to strike is top of mind this election. Another priority is federal funding for post-secondary schools. CUPE has endorsed the NDP but Local 3906 has yet to endorse any candidates. Fitzpatrick said he feels that generally, the NDP has supported workers. He said he's concerned the cabinet that Liberal Leader Mark Carney announced before the election began two and a half weeks ago lacked a labour minister, calling that "a really bad sign." Fitzpatrick also said he doesn't trust Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, despite Poilievre's efforts in recent years to pitch his party as one for the working class. Who private-sector unions are supporting The Conservatives have received endorsements from some private-sector unions, including the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Local 67 of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA). Local 67 business manager Nathan Bergstrand, who represents members in Hamilton, spoke at a Conservative rally in the city's east last month, when he praised Poilievre. In a written endorsement, he called him "the best choice for Canadian workers" and said Poilievre has pledged not to entertain or introduce anti-union legislation. CBC Hamilton reached out to Bergstrand, his local and the Hamilton-area boilermakers local for comment but did not receive responses by publication time. Anthony Marco, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council — whose members include public- and private-sector unions — said he doesn't think the average union member votes much differently from the average Canadian. He also said members don't necessarily vote based on their union's endorsements. The labour council has endorsed Matthew Green, the NDP candidate for Hamilton Centre, and will consider further endorsements at an upcoming meeting, Marco said. Overall, Marco said, workers of all kinds are concerned about issues like housing and education — topics he wants to hear more about on the campaign trail. He also said that if workers want change, they need to unite regardless of union affiliation. "When I talk about the working class, I'm talking about a broad-based group of working people that are 99 per cent of the population. And if they can give up those divisions and start to realize that the power that they have is working with each other, then that's what we need to do." What the parties are promising CBC Hamilton asked the four major political parties how they would respond to the economic impacts of the trade war in a way that specifically supports workers, whether their party plans to keep Canada Post public, what their stance on legislating striking workers back to work is, and how they would support unionized and non-unionized workers if elected April 28. Here's some of what they said. Conservative Party Conservative spokesperson Sam Lily said the party has "no plan to make any changes to Canada Post." In an email, he directed CBC Hamilton to multiple announcements the party made on topics related to tariffs, supporting workers and "pro-worker policy." These include a promise to remove GST from the sale of new cars made in Canada, a pledge to allow travelling trades workers to write off the full cost of food, transportation and accommodation, and a plan to train 350,000 trades workers. On back-to-work legislation, Lily pointed to a response by Poilievre in September, when he was asked about potential back-to-work legislation for Air Canada pilots, as an example of his position on the issue: "I would call on Air Canada to negotiate in good faith with the pilots. We're not going to support pre-empting those negotiations," the leader said at the time. Green Party The Green Party did not respond to CBC Hamilton's questions. The party has made a number of promises related to the cost of living, including raising the amount of untaxed income to $40,000, creating a guaranteed livable income and expanding paid leave to elder care, miscarriage and other family needs. Liberal Party In March, the Liberals announced a $2-billion plan to protect the auto industry during the trade war. The party also made changes to employment insurance that it said would make it easier for workers to qualify if, for example, their hours were cut. The party also said it would invest revenue from retaliatory tariffs back to workers. "Our party will always be a strong ally to workers and unions, especially as we respond to unjustified tariffs from the U.S. and economic uncertainty. We will have more to say in the weeks," Liberal Party spokesperson Mohammad Hussain said in an email Friday. New Democratic Party In a statement on behalf of the party, Hamilton Centre candidate Matthew Green said his party would support workers affected by the trade war through measures including investments in employment insurance, a retrofit and infrastructure plan and giving "every dollar" raised from tariffs to affected workers. Green said the NDP would keep Canada Post public, and have "proposed creative solutions for Canada Post to continue to support Canadians." On back-to-work legislation, he said the NDP would uphold bargaining rights"every time," and never legislate strikers back to work. The party would also look to amend the Labour Code to prevent the government from sending striking workers back. And when it comes to supporting workers, Green said everything his party does is motivated by helping working- and middle class families "build a good life." He said the NDP supports workers in fights for better working conditions and believes in reforming employment support programs to better protect self-employed and gig workers.
