Workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) will begin voting on the latest offers from their employer on Monday. This vote was mandated on June 12 by the minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hadju, who cited strain on small businesses and communities as her motivation.
With the vote now looming, CUPW is directing its members to vote “no” to Canada Post’s latest offers. The union’s national executive board has unanimously agreed that workers should not accept the employer’s offers, saying they fail to meet the needs of workers. Numerous local executive committees have also recommended their members vote no.
“Like any family or group, it is difficult to get this many people to agree on any issue, but in this case we all agree that both Urban and RSMC (Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers) bargaining units need to reject these offers,” CUPW national president Jan Simpson wrote in a letter posted to the union’s website.
According to the Canada Post website, the offer on the table include a wage increase of 13.59 per cent over four years, a signing bonus of $1,000 for full-time employees and $500 for all others, the maintaining of workers’ defined benefit pension and the creation of new part-time positions.
The union is demanding a 19 per cent wage increase over four years. Under the existing collective agreement, urban mail handlers make $21-$28 an hour. The living wage in Canada differs between provinces and municipalities but sits at an average of $23.19 per hour according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. In some BC cities, the living wage often sits above $26 per hour.
The addition of part-time roles has also set off alarms for some. CUPW’s national grievance officer, Carl Girouard, said management will use part-time work positions to take on the work done by relief workers and overtime. As well, the increase in part-time positions could jeopardize hours for others.
“How many routes will be full-time? How long will members have to wait for a full-time job?” Girouard wrote in a release on the CUPW website. “Remember: since there are so many part-timers on the opportunity list, there will be fewer opportunities for each part-time worker to work extended hours if they want to.”
In the event that union membership rejects this offer, CUPW says they will immediately invite Canada Post back to the bargaining table. During these negotiations, CUPW will maintain the overtime ban but will not take any additional strike action.
Minister Hadju’s use of the Canada Labour code section 108 to force this vote was quickly met with criticism from CUPW for disrespecting bargaining rights. Weeks later, the president of Canada’s largest labour organization, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), also came out with a statement denouncing Minister Hadju’s decision.
READ MORE: Postal workers say forced vote is another attack on bargaining rights
“Instead of remaining neutral, the Federal Government is once again acting on behalf of Canada Post, undermining CUPW’s right to be the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for its members,” said Bea Bruske, president of the CLC. “Rather than supporting fair, good-faith bargaining between parties, the Government continues the troubling union-busting trend we’ve seen from both Liberal and Conservative governments. When the government signals to employers that they can drag out negotiations and then be rewarded with a legislative shortcut, it undermines the foundation of fair and meaningful bargaining.”
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