Online sellers sending orders in and out of Canada face growing uncertainty as the country’s postal service comes no closer to negotiating a deal with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). eBay has been following the issue closely as some of its sellers have at times this summer halted listing activity rather than risk having mailed packages end up undelivered in the event of a strike or a lockout.
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Canada Post acquiesced to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour’s request to agree to binding arbitration, but CUPW rejected the request.
“If the union is serious about negotiating a deal without work disruption, Canada Post remains available to sit 24/7 at the table to hammer out a deal before August 25”, said the release. While the first option would allow talks to continue while letting workers retain their right to strike, CUPW president Mike Palecek isn’t holding out much hope for it.
Canada Post says there’s a “modest” wage increase for current employees – but details weren’t announced.
If Canada Post refuses to an extension, the union said it could be forced to pull the trigger on strike action.
According to Canada Post, reducing future costs is necessary for the company to respond to the changing needs of Canadians regarding postal services, while still respecting Canada Post’s mandate to be financially self-sustainable. It was negotiated with the Public Service Alliance of Canada/Union of Postal Communications Employees (PSAC/UPCE) for administrative and technical employees hired after May 2014. “Arbitration strikes an acceptable balance between the employer and the union”.
“They haven’t been bargaining as if they want to settle”, remarked Palecek, who added Canada Post has refused to budge on any of the major cuts or issues under discussion.
“The new collective agreement with the CPAA also includes changes to entry-level wages which are in line with changes previously negotiated with other bargaining units”.
They can ask Canada Post to extend the strike mandate indefinitely; they can issue a 72-hour strike notice; or they can get a fresh strike mandate (again valid for 60 days), which would be expensive and time-consuming.
“We’re going to be making some decisions in the coming days about how we move forward”, said Palecek.
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The two sides resumed “intensive negotiations” last month under the understanding Canada Post would not lock out workers and the union would not stage a strike during these ongoing talks. “We want a negotiated collective agreement and that’s still our goal”.
