“They are trying to turn it into gig work to deliver parcels.”
That’s from Local CUPW 812 President Nicole Chouinard as negotiations between Canada Post and the union have been put on ice, roughly one week before another possible strike.
Chouinard told Vista Radio this latest pause while Canada Post puts forth another offer is disappointing.
“Nobody wins if there is job action. Our members don’t win as its very mentally and emotionally, and financially hard. Everybody should just be rooting for a negotiated agreement and hopefully we can make that happen in the next week.”
“I don’t know on the timeline, how long it will take (submitting the offer) but typically when they do put something in writing to the union it takes a few for the negotiating committee on the union side to go through things.”
Chouinard added weekend delivery is a big topic that is on the table, a move the union isn’t against but the postal company seems to be stuck on a certain vision.
“We have in our collective agreement already an opportunity for weekend delivery but they obviously don’t see that to be suitable. That is the frustrating part because it is a discussion that has already been had in past negotiations.”
“They are trying to turn it into gig work to delivery parcels like other companies and that is not what good union jobs look like.”
The local union head also noted Canada Post wants to peace meal wage and benefit levels for senior and new employees – something that is a non-starter.
“The union wants to maintain what we have worked for decades to achieve and Canada Post is looking to do what they have done, which is basically say current members can keep what they have but any new members won’t have that level of benefits or wage scale.”
“We are not okay with that,” added Chouinard.
Over 55-thousand postal workers across the country, including 204 that service Mackenzie, Vanderhoof, Prince George, Burns Lake and Fraser Lake were on strike for about a month at the end of 2024, leading to a backlog in holiday parcel delivery before being legislated back to work by former federal labour minister Steve Mackinnon.
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