Latest news with #bindingArbitration
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Jobs Minister presses Canada Post, union to reach a deal
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is calling on Canada Post and the union representing 55,000 postal workers to return to the bargaining table and hash out terms for binding arbitration. In a social media statement Wednesday, the minister also asked the Crown corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to continue to work toward a deal outside of that process. She says arbitration is 'not the preferred path,' but suggested the stage would be set for an imposed settlement if the two sides could not find common ground themselves. 'Canadians expect the parties to resolve this dispute one way or another. To do that they must meet and pursue these two paths with urgency,' Hajdu said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Federal mediators are standing by to help, she added. Canada Post asks Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to force union vote on 'final offers' Canada Post workers rally in 13 cities to raise awareness of labour dispute On Friday, Canada Post asked the minister to force a union vote on its 'final offers,' while the union requested binding arbitration, which the employer rejected. The union said Tuesday that a forced vote on a new contract would amount to a 'government attack on our rights to free collective bargaining.' It also said it had been given a Wednesday deadline to respond to the latest offers, which include an end to compulsory overtime and a signing bonus of up to $1,000, among other concessions. But the employer stuck to its proposal for a 14 per cent cumulative wage hike over four years, a 'dynamic routing' pilot that could see mail carriers' routes change daily in response to parcel volume, and part-time staff on weekend shifts – a major sticking point in the talks. Canada Post has warned that arbitration would be 'long and complicated' and would likely last more than a year, adding to its significant financial challenges. The Crown corporation said last week it logged nearly $1.3-billion in operating losses last year, raising further questions about its business model as letter volumes plunge and fears of a second disruption in six months persist. The union again adopted a legal strike position starting May 23, but it has opted instead to ban members from working overtime while negotiations continued. The 32-day work stoppage in November and December halted millions of letters and packages in the peak shipping season ahead of the winter holidays last year. Shippers fled Canada Post in droves when workers went on strike Nov. 15. Rather than be caught flat-footed a second time, plenty of e-commerce companies have played it safe by booking with other couriers. Canada Post says parcel volumes are down 65 per cent from the same time last year due to uncertainty over the contract negotiations.
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Jobs minister Patty Hajdu presses Canada Post, workers to reach a deal
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is calling on Canada Post and its union to return to the bargaining table to hash out terms for binding arbitration. Article content In a social media statement Wednesday, the minister also asked the Crown corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to continue to work toward a deal outside of that process. Article content Article content She says arbitration is not the preferred path, but suggested the stage would be set for an imposed settlement if the two sides could not find common ground themselves. Article content Article content Article content On Friday, Canada Post asked Hajdu to force a union vote on its 'final offers,' while the union requested binding arbitration, which the employer rejected. Article content After a month-long strike last fall, the union has again been in a legal strike position since May 23, but has instead opted to ban members from working overtime while negotiations continued. Article content
