Here’s How the Canada Post Strike Could Affect Christmas

Mississauga | Ontario | Latest News |

Published November 19, 2018 at 8:53 pm

strike

Here’s how the Canada Post strike stole, or could steal, Christmas.

The possibility of the Canada Post strike affecting the holiday season may become a reality.

In order to resolve ongoing negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Canada Post recently proposed a time-limited offer. This offer included pay increases by 2 per cent per year for all employees, in addition to the measure of signing a bonus of up to $1,000. 

This was all to be on top of the approximate 25 per cent pay increase from a recently announced pay equity ruling.

This offer was only available until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 17.

The offer was not accepted.

Canada Post, according to recent press release, is now focusing on saving the holiday season deliveries that are important for retailers, charities and Canadians.

In a last-ditch effort to deliver the holidays, Canada Post has proposed to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that the two work together through January during a cooling-off period that would immediately end rotating strikes, allow for mediation to resume and introduce a process to achieve a final resolution.

“With the rotating strikes, resulting backlogs, and the massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday volumes that will arrive within days, we are trying everything we can to work together with the union – urgently – to deliver the holidays to Canadians,” Jessica McDonald, Chair of the Board of Directors and Interim President and CEO of Canada Post, said in a recent press release. 

“This proposal also includes a way for the parties to resolve their differences and these negotiations.”

If CUPW ends its strikes, the corporation could begin to reduce the massive existing backlogs that threaten the holiday season. 

This new proposal, if accepted, must be accepted by 5:00 p.m. today, Nov. 19. 

After this time, if the offer is not accepted, Canada Post will lose its last window of opportunity to clear the backlogs before the oncoming wave of volumes reaches its facilities.

In order to restore full operations, Canada Post is proposing:

  • A cooling-off period, effective immediately and lasting until Jan. 31, 2019. During the cooling-off period, CUPW would not strike or take any other job action, and the corporation would not lock out employees.
  • Immediately starting further mediation with a jointly-agreed, government-appointed mediator until the end of the cooling-off period.
  • A special payment of up to $1,000 for CUPW-represented employees that would be paid at the end of January if there is no labour disruption before the cooling-off period ends.
  • To reinstate both collective agreements with CUPW, including all employee benefits, for the duration of the cooling-off period.

If agreements have not been reached by Jan. 31, the mediator would submit recommendations for settlement. If they are not adopted by the parties, binding arbitration would be introduced.

Have you been impacted by the Canada Post strike?

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising