Canada Post welcomes employees back while urging CUPW to return to the table to bring much-needed certainty for Canadians and employees
Customers should expect delays as CUPW moves to rotating strikes
Canada Post will welcome back employees represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) back on Saturday, October 11, as the union moves from a full, national strike to rotating strikes. Plans are now underway to ensure a safe and orderly restart of our national operations, which were shut down without warning on September 25 following the union’s sudden national strike.
While postal services will begin to resume next week, uncertainty and instability in the postal service will continue with the union’s decision to conduct rotating strikes.
Shutting down and restarting parts of our integrated national network with rotating strikes has always challenged our ability to provide reliable service to customers. As a result, all service guarantees will be suspended.
More than 170 days of damaging strike action in less than a year
In the last year, Canadians and Canadian businesses have been subject to more than 170 days of strike activity by CUPW, including two national strikes. The only pause in strike activity occurred during the Industrial Inquiry Commission process, which was ordered by the Government.
This prolonged period of instability, uncertainty and disruption has significantly impacted Canadians and Canadian businesses, often without warning. As a result, they have moved to other carriers or are avoiding Canada Post altogether. The move to a different form of strike activity will not change that.
The impact on the company’s already dire financial position is significant and mounting. With continued uncertainty and the expiry of collective agreements, Canada Post will be required to adjust operations to its current business realities moving forward.
It’s time for CUPW to return to the bargaining table
Canada Post has urged the CUPW to return to the bargaining table to reach new collective agreements.
The company is waiting to hear back from the union on its latest offers on October 3. These offers put forward proposals that are affordable and treat employees fairly, given the challenges we face. Only new collective agreements will provide the certainty Canadians require to confidently use the postal system.
The need to align the business to the current needs of the country, to reduce the dependency on taxpayer dollars, grows more urgent each day this strike continues.
