Canada Post strike: Ottawa not looking at forced end, minister says
UNLIKE THE LONGSHOREMENS STRIKE
By Sean Previl & Craig Lord
Canada’s labour minister said the federal government is focused on getting an agreement at the bargaining table as Canada Post workers have walked off the job in a nationwide strike.
“I’m not looking at any other solution other than negotiation,” Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters in Montreal. “Right now, every day is a new day in collective bargaining and we are going to continue to support the parties in any way we can and make sure they are able to try and get a negotiated agreement.”
Canada Post is warning Canadians will face delays in receiving their mail, and postage already in the system will not be delivered, with a few exceptions after the union said negotiations failed to reach an agreement by Friday.
MacKinnon said that he had directed all resources in his department towards helping the parties reach an agreement, but said he would characterize the negotiations as “extremely difficult.”
“There are many big issues to solve at the table, and not a lot of progress has been made on those big issues,” MacKinnon said.
What does a strike mean for your mail?
The union had delivered a strike notice on Tuesday, warning it would be in a legal position for job action as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Friday. When that deadline passed, the union said it had begun strike action.
“Some 55,000 postal workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went on a nationwide strike on Friday, November 15 at 12:01am ET,” the CUPW said in a statement on Friday morning.
Canada Post warned in a statement Friday that “customers will experience delays due to the strike activity,” affecting millions of Canadians and businesses. Service to remote and Northern regions that rely on Canada Post deliveries will be shut down.
There will be no delivery of mail or parcels during the strike and some post offices will close, according to the Crown corporation.
Retail analyst Bruce Winder told Global News on Friday that Canadians who need to send letters or packages on a tight turnaround will have to turn to private carriers, but he warned “it’s going to cost a little more.”
“Realistically if you’ve got gifts to send to loved ones, you probably should use alternate methods like the couriers,” he said.
Service guarantees on any items already in the postal system will be affected and no new items will be accepted for mailing until after the strike ends.
However, Canada Post workers will still deliver benefits cheques on Wednesday, Nov. 20, according to a notice posted in the window of a shuttered postal office in Ottawa on Friday.
The statement continued: “Our demands are reasonable: fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office. Postal workers are proud to serve their communities, and we want to do the job we love. A strike is a last resort. We still believe we can achieve negotiated collective agreements, but Canada Post must be willing to resolve our new and outstanding issues.”
Canada Post said the shutdown comes at a “critical juncture” for the postal service, which has posted losses of more than $3 billion since 2018.
The employer claimed that it has made offers for wage increases of 11.5 per cent over four years in addition to measures protecting defined-benefit pensions and job security.
“To help secure the future of the company and grow our parcel business, Canada Post has put forward proposals to offer seven-day-a-week parcel delivery, more competitive pricing and other important improvements. This new delivery model is essential for the future of the company, and critical to our ability to afford the offers,” the Canada Post statement read.
The union has previously said Canada Post’s offers “fall short.”
CUPW is not convinced that this seven-day delivery plan will protect workers’ regular full-time routes on weekdays.
On short-term disability, CUPW is demanding to include 10 medical days and seven personal days in the collective agreements, but Canada Post refuses to budge from 13 personal days, the union has said.
What could Ottawa do?
This isn’t the first work stoppage at the Crown corporation, with union members having conducted rotating strikes in both 2018 and 2011, and Canada Post locking out employees in the latter case.
In both cases, the federal governments at the time — the Liberals in 2018 and Conservatives in 2011 — passed back-to-work legislation to end the strikes.
Organizations representing businesses have warned of the impact ahead of the holiday season.
Matt Poirier, vice-president of federal government relations for the Retail Council of Canada, told Global News on Wednesday this was the worst time for a work stoppage.
“This is one of the main suppliers for mail delivery for retail,” he said. “It couldn’t come at the worst time during the holiday season.”
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said Thursday it was disappointed about the potential for another work stoppage impacting small businesses and urged both sides to come to an agreement.
MacKinnon has previously said the federal government is hopeful both sides will achieve a deal at the table, adding that Ottawa is providing mediation support to both parties.
By Sean Previl & Craig Lord
Global News
Posted November 15, 2024
Canada Post workers are on strike after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with their employer. As Troy Charles reports, some BC workers are among the roughly 55,000 that are now off the job.
Posted November 15, 2024
Canada Post workers are on strike after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with their employer. As Troy Charles reports, some BC workers are among the roughly 55,000 that are now off the job.
Canada’s labour minister said the federal government is focused on getting an agreement at the bargaining table as Canada Post workers have walked off the job in a nationwide strike.
“I’m not looking at any other solution other than negotiation,” Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters in Montreal. “Right now, every day is a new day in collective bargaining and we are going to continue to support the parties in any way we can and make sure they are able to try and get a negotiated agreement.”
Canada Post is warning Canadians will face delays in receiving their mail, and postage already in the system will not be delivered, with a few exceptions after the union said negotiations failed to reach an agreement by Friday.
MacKinnon said that he had directed all resources in his department towards helping the parties reach an agreement, but said he would characterize the negotiations as “extremely difficult.”
“There are many big issues to solve at the table, and not a lot of progress has been made on those big issues,” MacKinnon said.
What does a strike mean for your mail?
The union had delivered a strike notice on Tuesday, warning it would be in a legal position for job action as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Friday. When that deadline passed, the union said it had begun strike action.
“Some 55,000 postal workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went on a nationwide strike on Friday, November 15 at 12:01am ET,” the CUPW said in a statement on Friday morning.
Canada Post warned in a statement Friday that “customers will experience delays due to the strike activity,” affecting millions of Canadians and businesses. Service to remote and Northern regions that rely on Canada Post deliveries will be shut down.
There will be no delivery of mail or parcels during the strike and some post offices will close, according to the Crown corporation.
Retail analyst Bruce Winder told Global News on Friday that Canadians who need to send letters or packages on a tight turnaround will have to turn to private carriers, but he warned “it’s going to cost a little more.”
“Realistically if you’ve got gifts to send to loved ones, you probably should use alternate methods like the couriers,” he said.
Service guarantees on any items already in the postal system will be affected and no new items will be accepted for mailing until after the strike ends.
However, Canada Post workers will still deliver benefits cheques on Wednesday, Nov. 20, according to a notice posted in the window of a shuttered postal office in Ottawa on Friday.
Nationally, this includes the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Veteran Affairs Pension Plan and the Canada Child Tax Benefit; in Quebec, the provincial pension plan and child assistance payments will still go out; in Alberta, pension cheques from Alberta Seniors will be delivered as usual.
View image in full screenA Canada Post office on Sparks Street in Ottawa posts a notice informing customers that benefits cheques will still be delivered despite a national strike on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. Amanda Connolly / Global News
Canada Post warned that any disrupted postage will be delivered on a first-in, first-out basis once operations resume, but warned the impacts will likely be felt in the days after the strike ends.
Why is Canada Post on strike?
CUPW issued a 72-hour notice of strike action on Tuesday, with it entering a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern this morning.
Hours after the union announced its plans earlier this week, Canada Post issued its own notice of lockout to take effect Friday, noting that its collective agreements with both rural and urban workers would no longer apply.
A Canada Post spokesperson told Global News in an email Friday that the shutdown is not considered a lockout.
“This is a work stoppage resulting from CUPW’s decision to launch a nationwide strike. Canada Post was committed to maintaining operations while talks continue,” the statement read.
The CUPW meanwhile said the decision to strike was a “difficult” one that came after a year of bargaining with the employer.
“Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day. Instead, Canada Post left us no choice when it threatened to change our working conditions and leave our members exposed to layoffs.”
Canada Post warned that any disrupted postage will be delivered on a first-in, first-out basis once operations resume, but warned the impacts will likely be felt in the days after the strike ends.
Why is Canada Post on strike?
CUPW issued a 72-hour notice of strike action on Tuesday, with it entering a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern this morning.
Hours after the union announced its plans earlier this week, Canada Post issued its own notice of lockout to take effect Friday, noting that its collective agreements with both rural and urban workers would no longer apply.
A Canada Post spokesperson told Global News in an email Friday that the shutdown is not considered a lockout.
“This is a work stoppage resulting from CUPW’s decision to launch a nationwide strike. Canada Post was committed to maintaining operations while talks continue,” the statement read.
The CUPW meanwhile said the decision to strike was a “difficult” one that came after a year of bargaining with the employer.
“Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day. Instead, Canada Post left us no choice when it threatened to change our working conditions and leave our members exposed to layoffs.”
The statement continued: “Our demands are reasonable: fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office. Postal workers are proud to serve their communities, and we want to do the job we love. A strike is a last resort. We still believe we can achieve negotiated collective agreements, but Canada Post must be willing to resolve our new and outstanding issues.”
Canada Post said the shutdown comes at a “critical juncture” for the postal service, which has posted losses of more than $3 billion since 2018.
The employer claimed that it has made offers for wage increases of 11.5 per cent over four years in addition to measures protecting defined-benefit pensions and job security.
“To help secure the future of the company and grow our parcel business, Canada Post has put forward proposals to offer seven-day-a-week parcel delivery, more competitive pricing and other important improvements. This new delivery model is essential for the future of the company, and critical to our ability to afford the offers,” the Canada Post statement read.
The union has previously said Canada Post’s offers “fall short.”
CUPW is not convinced that this seven-day delivery plan will protect workers’ regular full-time routes on weekdays.
On short-term disability, CUPW is demanding to include 10 medical days and seven personal days in the collective agreements, but Canada Post refuses to budge from 13 personal days, the union has said.
What could Ottawa do?
This isn’t the first work stoppage at the Crown corporation, with union members having conducted rotating strikes in both 2018 and 2011, and Canada Post locking out employees in the latter case.
In both cases, the federal governments at the time — the Liberals in 2018 and Conservatives in 2011 — passed back-to-work legislation to end the strikes.
Organizations representing businesses have warned of the impact ahead of the holiday season.
Matt Poirier, vice-president of federal government relations for the Retail Council of Canada, told Global News on Wednesday this was the worst time for a work stoppage.
“This is one of the main suppliers for mail delivery for retail,” he said. “It couldn’t come at the worst time during the holiday season.”
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said Thursday it was disappointed about the potential for another work stoppage impacting small businesses and urged both sides to come to an agreement.
MacKinnon has previously said the federal government is hopeful both sides will achieve a deal at the table, adding that Ottawa is providing mediation support to both parties.
If Ottawa were to consider back-to-work legislation, it would need support from either the Bloc Quebecois or Conservatives to pass as the NDP have said they would not vote for such a bill.
The government could also impose binding arbitration to end the work stoppages, as it did earlier this week to end work stoppages at Canada’s largest ports in British Columbia and Quebec.
— with files from Global News’ Saba Aziz
— with files from Global News’ Saba Aziz
EDMONTON
Local Canada Post workers hit the picket line as nationwide strike begins
'We've suffered enough': Union president on strike
Canada Post workers strike in Edmonton
Diego Romero
CTVNewsEdmonton.ca
'We've suffered enough': Union president on strike
Canada Post workers strike in Edmonton
Diego Romero
CTVNewsEdmonton.ca
Journalist
Updated Nov. 15, 2024
Edmonton-area Canada Post workers walked off the job Friday as a nationwide strike began.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued a 72-hour strike notice earlier this week, saying it's been asking for fair wages, safer working conditions and other improvements over nearly a year of bargaining.
Approximately 55,000 workers are striking, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said.
Updated Nov. 15, 2024
Edmonton-area Canada Post workers walked off the job Friday as a nationwide strike began.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued a 72-hour strike notice earlier this week, saying it's been asking for fair wages, safer working conditions and other improvements over nearly a year of bargaining.
Approximately 55,000 workers are striking, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said.
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Canada Post workers go on strike Friday morning, disrupting deliveries
In the Alberta capital region, CUPW 730 asked workers not to report to work as of Friday morning and to hit the picket line instead.
There are three picket lines in Edmonton, one in St. Albert and one in Sherwood Park.
"It's very disappointing for everyone involved, we'd rather not be doing this," CUPW 730 interim president James Ball told CTV News Edmonton. "We would rather have come to a negotiated solution six months ago but we're not meeting anywhere. The sacrifices that are going to be made by our members are not small. They're big issues…and it's unfortunate that it's going to affect the public."
Mail and parcels will not be delivered during the strike and some post offices will be closed, Canada Post said.
A number of City of Edmonton services will be impacted during the strike.
With files from The Canadian Press
In the Alberta capital region, CUPW 730 asked workers not to report to work as of Friday morning and to hit the picket line instead.
There are three picket lines in Edmonton, one in St. Albert and one in Sherwood Park.
"It's very disappointing for everyone involved, we'd rather not be doing this," CUPW 730 interim president James Ball told CTV News Edmonton. "We would rather have come to a negotiated solution six months ago but we're not meeting anywhere. The sacrifices that are going to be made by our members are not small. They're big issues…and it's unfortunate that it's going to affect the public."
Mail and parcels will not be delivered during the strike and some post offices will be closed, Canada Post said.
A number of City of Edmonton services will be impacted during the strike.
With files from The Canadian Press
Canada Post workers hit the picket line in Edmonton on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
Canada Post workers went on strike early Friday after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with their employer, exactly one year after talks began.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says approximately 55,000 workers in its urban, rural and suburban mail carrier (RSMC) bargaining units are striking, claiming little progress has been made in the bargaining process.
"Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day," the union said in a statement.
"Instead, Canada Post left us no choice when it threatened to change our working conditions and leave our members exposed to layoffs."
The strike action comes ahead of Black Friday and the beginning of the holiday season, when Canadians rely on the postal service to send and receive gifts, packages and cards.
Canada Post said in a statement Friday morning that its operations will shut down, affecting millions of Canadians and businesses.
Mail and parcels, the Crown corporation said, will not be processed or delivered during the strike, and some post offices will be closed. Service guarantees will be affected for items already in the postal network and no new items will be accepted.
Related video: 55,000 Canada Post workers go on nationwide strike, union says (cbc.ca)
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The union and the company have agreed that benefit cheques will still be mailed out during the strike, including for the Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan.
Once operations resume, the corporation said, mail and parcels will be delivered on a first-come, first-serve basis, but "a national strike of any length will impact service to Canadians well after the strike activity ends."
No plans for back-to-work bill right now, says labour minister
Earlier this week, Canada Post said progress in the negotiations had been "slow and lacking on major issues." The two sides began talks toward a new contract on Nov. 15, 2023.
Mark Lubinski, the Toronto local president of CUPW, said that Canada Post workers have fallen behind as the cost of living has gone up, with high rent and inflation leaving employees "unable to survive."
"We're prepared to be out here as long as we need to be," Lubinski told CBC News.
He said Canada Post workers know that they provide an essential service and that they have no other choice after a year of negotiations with the Crown corporation.
"The climate seems to be that Canada Post and other employers are waiting for the government to legislate us back to work," Lubinski said. "We want to negotiate a fair contract for our workers."
A Canada Post employee is pictured in Richmond, B.C, on Thursday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
During work stoppages in 2011 and 2018, the federal government passed legislation to send Canada Post employees back to work.
So far, government officials say they have no plans to introduce legislation to end the strike.
"I'm not looking at any other solution other than negotiation right now," Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters in Montreal on Friday morning.
"Every day is a new day in collective bargaining, and we are going to continue to support the parties in any way we can and make sure that they are able to try and get a negotiated agreement."
In a post on social media platform X Thursday evening prior to the strike announcement, MacKinnon said federal mediators have been working with the union and the Crown corporation, and a special mediator has been appointed to support the two sides.
The labour minister or either party in a dispute can request a mediator, per the Canada Labour Code, as has been done in the work disruption at B.C. ports.
No alternative, small business owner says
Workers gave Canada Post 72-hour notice on Tuesday, as the Crown corporation warned that a potential strike would further impact its already dire financial situation.
Canada Post served the union with a lockout notice not long after but said it didn't intend to lock workers out.
CUPW was in a legal strike position as of Nov. 3, after a legally mandated cooling-off period. In a vote last month, more than 95 per cent of both urban and rural workers backed a strike mandate, the union has said.
Canada Post's latest contract offer included annual wage increases that amounted to 11.5 per cent over four years. It also offered protection of the defined benefit pension for current employees, as well as job security and health benefits.
CUPW said that wasn't enough and that the two parties remain far apart on several issues.
"Our demands are reasonable: fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office," it said in its statement.
A Canada Post mail carrier delivers fliers on their route in Montreal on Wednesday. A strike of urban, suburban and rural postal workers began early Friday, a disruption that comes just ahead of the busy Christmas holiday season. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) called on the federal government Thursday to use all its powers, including binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation to end the disruption.
The CFIB said in its statement that about 80 per cent of small businesses in Canada rely on Canada Post for shipping goods or for invoicing or receiving payments.
"Letter mail doesn't have an alternative, and that's what most of our shipping is," Rémi Vienneau LeClair, owner of Comic Hunter in Moncton, told CBC News. "It's asking people if they want to pay $20 instead of $2. It's not really an alternative."
Meanwhile, Teamsters Canada has said its members at Purolator won't handle any packages postmarked or identified as originating from Canada Post.
Spokesperson Christopher Monette said in an email ahead of the strike announcement that the CUPW has the Teamsters' full support, and that they believe good union jobs are essential pillars of Canadian society.
2:52
\cbc.caCanada Post workers go on strike across country
0:53
\cbc.ca Canada Post workers on strike, mail and parcels won't be delivered
2:51
The union and the company have agreed that benefit cheques will still be mailed out during the strike, including for the Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan.
Once operations resume, the corporation said, mail and parcels will be delivered on a first-come, first-serve basis, but "a national strike of any length will impact service to Canadians well after the strike activity ends."
No plans for back-to-work bill right now, says labour minister
Earlier this week, Canada Post said progress in the negotiations had been "slow and lacking on major issues." The two sides began talks toward a new contract on Nov. 15, 2023.
Mark Lubinski, the Toronto local president of CUPW, said that Canada Post workers have fallen behind as the cost of living has gone up, with high rent and inflation leaving employees "unable to survive."
"We're prepared to be out here as long as we need to be," Lubinski told CBC News.
He said Canada Post workers know that they provide an essential service and that they have no other choice after a year of negotiations with the Crown corporation.
"The climate seems to be that Canada Post and other employers are waiting for the government to legislate us back to work," Lubinski said. "We want to negotiate a fair contract for our workers."
A Canada Post employee is pictured in Richmond, B.C, on Thursday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
During work stoppages in 2011 and 2018, the federal government passed legislation to send Canada Post employees back to work.
So far, government officials say they have no plans to introduce legislation to end the strike.
"I'm not looking at any other solution other than negotiation right now," Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters in Montreal on Friday morning.
"Every day is a new day in collective bargaining, and we are going to continue to support the parties in any way we can and make sure that they are able to try and get a negotiated agreement."
In a post on social media platform X Thursday evening prior to the strike announcement, MacKinnon said federal mediators have been working with the union and the Crown corporation, and a special mediator has been appointed to support the two sides.
The labour minister or either party in a dispute can request a mediator, per the Canada Labour Code, as has been done in the work disruption at B.C. ports.
No alternative, small business owner says
Workers gave Canada Post 72-hour notice on Tuesday, as the Crown corporation warned that a potential strike would further impact its already dire financial situation.
Canada Post served the union with a lockout notice not long after but said it didn't intend to lock workers out.
CUPW was in a legal strike position as of Nov. 3, after a legally mandated cooling-off period. In a vote last month, more than 95 per cent of both urban and rural workers backed a strike mandate, the union has said.
Canada Post's latest contract offer included annual wage increases that amounted to 11.5 per cent over four years. It also offered protection of the defined benefit pension for current employees, as well as job security and health benefits.
CUPW said that wasn't enough and that the two parties remain far apart on several issues.
"Our demands are reasonable: fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office," it said in its statement.
A Canada Post mail carrier delivers fliers on their route in Montreal on Wednesday. A strike of urban, suburban and rural postal workers began early Friday, a disruption that comes just ahead of the busy Christmas holiday season. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) called on the federal government Thursday to use all its powers, including binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation to end the disruption.
The CFIB said in its statement that about 80 per cent of small businesses in Canada rely on Canada Post for shipping goods or for invoicing or receiving payments.
"Letter mail doesn't have an alternative, and that's what most of our shipping is," Rémi Vienneau LeClair, owner of Comic Hunter in Moncton, told CBC News. "It's asking people if they want to pay $20 instead of $2. It's not really an alternative."
Meanwhile, Teamsters Canada has said its members at Purolator won't handle any packages postmarked or identified as originating from Canada Post.
Spokesperson Christopher Monette said in an email ahead of the strike announcement that the CUPW has the Teamsters' full support, and that they believe good union jobs are essential pillars of Canadian society.
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