Canada Post workers in Prince George are officially back on the picket lines this morning after negotiations continue to stall, which is causing stress and worry ahead of the holiday season.
The postal service says yesterday they made a last-ditch effort to deliver for the holidays. Canada Post proposed to CUPW that both parties work together through January during a "cooling-off period" that would end current rotating strikes and allow for mediation to resume.
"With the rotating strikes, resulting backlogs, and the massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday volumes that will arrive within days, we are trying everything we can to work together with the union — urgently — to deliver the holidays to Canadians,” Jessica McDonald, chair of the board of directors and interim president and CEO of Canada Post, says in a press release. "This proposal also includes a way for the parties to resolve their differences and these negotiations.”
Canada Post says they are proposing the following:
- A cooling-off period, effective immediately and lasting until Jan. 31, 2019, which is past the holiday peak volumes, as well as high volumes driven by Boxing Day sales and the return of holiday purchases in January. During the cooling-off period, CUPW would not strike or take any other job action, and the corporation would not lock out employees;
- Immediately starting further mediation with a jointly-agreed, government-appointed mediator until the end of the cooling-off period;
- A special payment of up to $1,000 for CUPW-represented employees that would be paid at the end of January if there is no labour disruption before the cooling-off period ends;
- To reinstate both collective agreements with CUPW, including all employee benefits, for the duration of the cooling-off period;
- If agreements have not been reached by Jan. 31, the mediator would submit recommendations for settlement. If they are not adopted by the parties, binding arbitration would be introduced.
Canada Post says they remain operational; however, they are advising customers they are not able to honour their delivery standards for any products because of the prolonged and ongoing strikes.
"This is likely to be the situation for the foreseeable future, meaning the next several weeks, including the peak holiday season and through January 2019," reads a statement dated Nov. 19.
