Postal strikes ongoing in Canada as negotiations continue

(Updated 4.09pm EDT) Canada Post has rejected a fresh offer for a new collective bargaining agreement from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers today, as a series of rolling postal strikes continued into this week. Postal workers in the Canadian cities of Hamilton and Montreal staged industrial action over the weekend, following on from the first 24-hour stoppage organised by the union in Winnipeg on Friday.

After workers in Hamilton, Ontario, stopped work officially for 48 hours from Saturday (June 4), workers have been striking in Montreal today in action set to conclude at 11:30pm tonight local time.

Picket activities began this morning at Canada Post’s Léo-Blanchette Plant, Bridge Street facility and a number of letter carrier depots within Montreal, with the Crown Corporation warning that mail induction and delivery would be affected in Montreal and the surrounding areas today.

A union demonstration was due to take place this afternoon at Montreal’s Depot C on Catherine Street, just a few hours after Canada Post dismissed the CUPW’s latest attempt to secure a deal.

This afternoon, Canada Post said it had turned down the union’s latest offer after “careful consideration”, suggesting the proposal was still “too expensive” given the current decline in mail volumes and other challenges.

Canada Post said: “The union’s latest offer would still add a significant amount of new costs to Canada Post over the life of the contract and does not offer realistic solutions and flexibility to problems such as declining mail volumes, increasing competition, and electronic substitutions of traditional mail. CUPW has not yet put forward an offer that could form the basis of a deal with Canada Post.”

The Corporation did agree today to withdraw one of its key demands, making use of more part-time workers to cope with reduced mail volumes. It said the move was a compromise “in keeping with the company’s commitment to reach a negotiated settlement that will protect postal services, improve employee wages, and ensure the Crown Corporation does not become a drain on taxpayers”.

Talks between the two sides are set to continue.

Canada Post said most of its postal network was continuing to operate despite the rolling strike action, with mail being accepted and processed in all locations not immediately subject to a strike.

Volumes were expected to be lower in areas subject to a strike immediately following the industrial action, though “business as usual” elsewhere.

Denis Lemelin, National President and Chief Negotiator, said yesterday: “Postal workers are staying out on strike to keep the pressure on negotiations. We will not accept the rollbacks that a profitable company is trying to force us to swallow.”

The CUPW has been negotiating with Canada Post for a new wage deal since October, and is continuing this week to demand a 3.3% wage increase in the first year of a four-year labour deal, with a 2.75% rise in each of the following three years.