A week ago, CUPW members spoke loudly and rejected what Canada Post called its “best and final” offers. The goal of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remains negotiating ratifiable collective agreements which meet postal workers’ needs, help grow the current services provided by a public post office and to better serve Canadians with new services.

While CUPW is ready to meet, bargaining collective agreements takes two parties. CUPW reached out to Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to restart bargaining and we have not heard back. Unfortunately, it does not appear that Canada Post shares our urgency about getting back to the negotiating table and reaching ratifiable collective agreements.

After many tactics that interfered with bargaining, the Government of Canada, Minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hajdu, is now saying her ministry will not be directly involved in the “next round” of bargaining. This is the same round of bargaining that the Government has “paused” for six (6) months, ordered an Industrial Inquiry Commission, and forced a vote for the employer on their final offers because, “there were questions in the minds of the employer” on whether or not workers were unhappy with Canada Post’s final offers. The forced vote wasted another two months.

The Minister also said, “Now it’s time for the parties to truly negotiate in good faith to get an agreement that will serve their members”.

The Union has been bargaining in good faith during the entire process, we need Canada Post to do the same, as the sole shareholder of Canada Post the Government can order Canada Post to do so.

CUPW members demand that Canada Post return to the table. With Managements final offers rejected by a large majority, it is the employer that needs to move off their extreme positions.

Canada Post and the Minister have said the Canadian public deserves stability and the current uncertainty is bad for business. Yet, they have not responded to our invitation to return to the bargaining table.

The national overtime ban will remain in effect. 

 

In solidarity,