Latest news with #labourDispute
CBC
16 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
B.C. port foremen's union and employers ratify 4-year deal
Maritime employers in British Columbia and the union representing port foremen say they have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, after a dispute that saw workers locked out of container terminals last year. The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 said in a joint statement that the new collective agreement extends from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2027. "We look forward to working together to implement the terms of the agreement," the two sides said in the statement. It is the second major labour deal for Canada's West Coast ports that will be in place until March 2027, after an earlier agreement with thousands of port workers that was signed in August 2023 following a strike. WATCH | Lockout initiated by port employers last year: Foremen set to be locked out amid contract dispute at B.C. ports 7 months ago Duration 2:49 Hundreds of foremen in Vancouver and Port Rupert were locked out by their employer, the B.C. Maritime Employers' Association, on Monday afternoon, with the employer calling it a "defensive action" after port workers served 72 hours strike notice. The union says the BCMEA is overreacting. The details of the new deal with supervisors have not been released, and neither the employers association nor the union representing roughly 700 supervisors immediately responded to requests for comment. They had been without a deal since the last accord expired in March 2023. The union had said port automation was a major concern, with supervisors wanting assurances on staffing levels regardless of the technology being used at B.C. ports. The negotiations were contentious at times, with Local 514 filing a complaint against the employers with the Canada Industrial Relations Board alleging direct contact with members during talks. The employers association had called the complaint meritless, noting its offer to the union at the time included a 19.2 per cent wage increase over the four-year term of the deal. The dispute took its most drastic turn on Nov. 4, when employers locked out members of Local 514 in what they called a defensive action. The union had voted to authorize strike action but said at the time that members were only planning partial job actions such as an overtime ban when they were locked out. Container cargo traffic at terminals on the West Coast were halted in the dispute, eventually prompting the federal government to step in on Nov. 12. That was when the federal labour minister at the time, Steven MacKinnon, directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations and move talks to binding arbitration.
Globe and Mail
a day 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.
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Jobs minister asks Canada Post, union back to the bargaining table
Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu takes part in a panel during the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa on December 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Federal Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu has asked Canada Post and the union representing its workers back to the bargaining table, alongside federal mediators. In a statement Wednesday, Hajdu wrote that resuming negotiations will have two goals: To seek terms for arbitration and for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to respond to the postal carrier's last global offer. 'Arbitration is not the preferred path to an agreement for either side, and each will have priorities it wants recognized,' the statement reads. 'And for that reason, attempts to negotiate a settlement must continue.' In response to the minister's request, Canada Post said the carrier is 'ready to quickly return to the table' for negotiations. 'Our goal remains to reach a timely and fair resolution that begins to respond to the significant challenges we face, helps us better serve the modern delivery needs of Canadians and respects our employees,' a Wednesday statement to CTV News reads. Hajdu added that urgency is needed to reach a resolution. 'Federal mediators are waiting to engage with the parties,' her statement concludes. The union formally requested binding arbitration to resolve the labour dispute late last month, while the carrier has asked Hajdu to order workers to vote on its most recent offer, authority the minister holds under the Canada Labour Code. 'After 18 months of challenging negotiations with the (CUPW), Canada Post is seeking a timely and fair resolution to restore stability to the postal system while ensuring employees have a voice in the process by allowing them to vote,' a Sunday statement from the carrier reads. 'The union's proposal to send the matter to binding arbitration would do the opposite.' Canada Post argued that a 'long and complicated' arbitration process would prolong uncertainty in the postal system and 'accelerate the company's significant financial challenges,' noting that the union itself had rejected such measures in the past. In response, a CUPW statement Sunday said that the carrier's 'pursuit of a government-imposed vote on its last global offers will not bring lasting labour peace between the parties, regardless of the vote's outcome,' and that 'arbitration would end the labour dispute immediately and create certainty for all Canadians.' On Tuesday, CUPW president Jan Simpson called Canada Post's request to Hajdu a "forced vote" that would mean 'yet another heavy-handed government attack on our rights to free collective bargaining.' Asked to confirm whether Hajdu was declining to order a vote, the minister's office told CTV News that 'the best deals are made between the two parties and we'll continue encouraging that.' With files from CTV National News Correspondent Abigail Bimman
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Supporters of Canada Post workers set to rally across the country
Rallies in support of Canada Post workers are set to take place across the country today amid ongoing labour tensions between the employer and the union representing roughly 55,000 staff. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers announced the rallies on its website, saying supporters will gather in 13 cities including Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver. The union says members won't stop fighting to protect and expand the public post office as Canada Post pushes for job and service cuts. The Canada Post presented what it called its 'final offers' to the union on Wednesday, with concessions including an end to compulsory overtime and a signing bonus of up to $1,000. But it stuck to a proposal for a 14-per-cent cumulative wage hike over four years and part-time staff on weekend shifts, a major sticking point in the talks. The Decibel: What's going on with Canada Post? Canada Post says the two sides are at an impasse after months of conciliation and mediation and has asked Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to force a union membership vote on its latest proposals. The union has been in a legal strike position as of May 23, but so far has opted instead for an overtime ban. The Crown corporation said this week it logged nearly $1.3 billion in operating losses last year, raising further questions about its business model as letter volumes plunge. An annual report released earlier this week said a month-long strike last fall stemming from the same contract negotiations cost the organization $208 million. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers took to the picket lines for 32 days in late 2024, snarling mail delivery over the busy holiday shopping season.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Canada Post, union set to return to bargaining table as OT ban continues
Canada Post signage and parked vehicles are seen at a Canada Post mail sorting facility in Ottawa, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby Canada Post and the union representing 55,000 of its workers are set to head back to the bargaining table this week as an overtime ban remains in effect. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the Crown corporation has proposed continuing talks on Wednesday. It says Canada Post plans to respond to proposals the union presented on Sunday. The union had been in a strike position starting Friday but opted instead for an overtime ban. Some key issues in the labour dispute include wages and other forms of compensation, along with the potential of more part-time staff and weekend delivery. The postal service has said parcel volumes last week were down 50 per cent from last year and dropping. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025. The Canadian Press
