MAY 1ST
23-Mar-2011 10:57 PM Report
From the CUPW SITE:
March 14, 2011 - 13:15

Urban Postal Unit Negotiations (2011) / Media Release


For Immediate Release
OTTAWA - After five months of negotiations with Canada Post, members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers urban operations bargaining unit will be voting on the possibility of a strike. The union asked for conciliation in January, citing an impasse at the bargaining table that shows no sign of abating.

“It is difficult to negotiate when Canada Post’s demands for rollbacks stay on the table,” said Denis Lemelin, CUPW’s National President who is also acting as chief negotiator. “They have been going after our sick leave, our pensions, our retirees and our newest members. All this while they are making profits. Why can’t they invest some of these profits in their people and communities instead of machines?”

Canada Post’s recent $2-billion investment in new technologies and restructuring of the postal system has created problems nationwide, including in Winnipeg, Scarborough, Moncton, Laval and Saskatoon. Concerned postal workers have pointed out that much of the mess could have been avoided if upper management at Canada Post had been less fixated on change at all costs and taken the time to listen to workers on the ground.

The introduction of new work methods has resulted in unsafe working conditions, excessive amounts of forced overtime, and major problems with service to the public. The union has submitted proposals at the bargaining table to address these problems. But management’s demands for big concessions at the bargaining table has created a sense of determination among postal workers, who are describing this bargaining round as “the fight of our lives.”

The union is urging Canada Post to consider service expansion, including postal banking, as a way for the postal sector to stay relevant and maintain good jobs in the digital age. Many countries, including Brazil, New Zealand, France, Italy, India, Australia, Switzerland and the UK are rising to the challenge by making enhanced services available through their comprehensive postal networks.

“We have a historic opportunity here to improve the postal service and ensure that it remains a common good, working in everybody’s interests,” said Lemelin. “We hope that a strong strike vote from our members will force Canada Post to sit down and negotiate a reasonable settlement.”

If the vote is a yes, postal workers across the country could be out on strike towards the end of April.

Yeah, they suck. This will probably be resolved before a strike happens or shortly thereafter. A lot of Canada Post sites are operated by other companies too. The government can't afford to let a full scale strike happen for any term and would step in. Although, I remember the garbage strike in Toronto.

Guess I better get my package in the mail headed north this Monday.

Is all this hassle the way to make up for "FREE" health care?

Free Healthcare is fast becoming Two-Tiered healthcare,
However free is still better than deciding if you can afford the surgery or treatments or drugs afterwards.

RULE #1. Always make sure you can get the drugs afterwards.


Sorry to hear about more Canadian mail woes, its gotta cramp your int'l trading here for sure if there is a strike.

So if the strike occurs, it got me wondering what the penalty is for smuggling plastic crack across the border.

Death by maple syrup.