Customers no longer have to worry about being collateral in the Canada Post labour dispute.
The corporation and its workers have kicked the can down the road in their negotiations and set a deadline for action.
Canadians were threatened with the possibility of a lockout or a strike last week, but both sides have agreed to return to the table for a 30-day cooling-off period, and if a full deal isn’t settled by the end of 30 days, both parties will have to agree to binding arbitration.
On July 10, MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, told Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to solve their problems despite the passing of a lockout notice deadline. Threats of both a lockout and strike were then withdrawn.
“Assurance from both parties that the postal system will remain open for business while we negotiate will provide the certainty that Canadians and our employees are looking for,” said Phil Legault, media relations with Canada Post. “Canada Post is committed to negotiating agreements that are fair to our employees while providing affordable pricing and service to Canadians.”
In Canada Post’s statement explaining its point of view, it suggests the role of a postie can’t stay the same amid the rapidly changing landscape of mail delivery.
“Our employees are coming to work to find the amount of mail and parcels they process and deliver has dropped significantly,” it reads. “Parcel volumes from our major e-commerce customers have declined by more than 80 per cent. Yesterday alone, the amount of mail deposited across our network was down more than 80 per cent compared with the same day last year.”
Before threats to strike were withdrawn, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers wrote a whimsical letter to the future, addressed to a postal worker in the year 2036.
“In 2016, we refused to pass the burden along to future generations to try to get back what we gave up,” it reads. “We fought against more concessions, and yet more from greedy bosses who couldn’t be satisfied with only millions in profits.”
DAN WALTON
Oliver Chronicle
