Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers met on Wednesday, Aug. 27, to discuss and bargain for a collective agreement — however, a recent statement put out by Canada Post has cast doubt on whether negotiations will continue.
“The company and CUPW met today at the bargaining table. After many months of difficult negotiations and mounting losses, the Corporation was looking for workable solutions to be brought to the table that would get the parties closer to a resolution and end the uncertainty for employees and customers,” the statement reads.
Canada Post continues by stating that the positions and changes made to the agreement by CUPW, as well as additional demands for the continued negotiations regarding the previously mentioned collective agreement, were not acceptable to them.
“Unfortunately, CUPW has either maintained or hardened its position on many items and added new demands, and the gap between the parties remains substantial. Several proposed items would increase the Corporation’s operational costs. While the union’s offers included some part-time employee component to address weekend delivery, CUPW’s proposed approach remains unaffordable, problematic and complex to manage."
The postal company follows this by emphasizing that it remains willing to negotiate following the revision of these issues, and states that it wants the best for both workers and all Canadians.
“After carefully reviewing CUPW’s comprehensive offers over the past few days, the Corporation today urged the union to revisit its offers to align with the realities confronting the company. We remain open to reviewing and discussing amended proposals.
“Both parties need to agree on an approach that addresses the Corporation’s challenges, supports its people, and starts to secure the company for employees and customers. We are ready to make Canada Post an organization that better meets the needs of all Canadians, while building a financially sustainable future for the company. At the Industrial Inquiry Commission, Canada Post shared urgent changes needed to help put the organization on a solid path for future success.”
The statement ends with Canada Post emphasizing that it is “committed to reaching new collective agreements through the bargaining process,” and that it will keep Canadians apprised of ongoing developments regarding this dispute.
However, those at CUPW — including Prince George’s CUPW Local 812 president Nicole Chouinard — feel that this statement misrepresents the issue.
“It’s tough to stomach because nine times out of ten what our asks are are just to maintain what we currently have,” said Chouinard. “All of a sudden, they can’t afford to maintain what we currently have.
“We essentially are looking for raises in line with inflation and to maintain what we currently have in terms of benefits and pension. What they want is for us to accept rollback after rollback after rollback because they’ve mismanaged the company and they can’t afford it. And I don’t feel that it’s fair that we should have to pay the price for that.”
She added that she agrees with the statement Canada Post made regarding the large gap between Canada Post and the CUPW — and that this gap will not be closed unless negotiating tactics are changed.
“It’s hard to negotiate when there’s not a lot of compromise being made and it’s especially hard to negotiate when one side keeps walking away,” said Chouinard. “For them to say that they can’t afford that, so try again. That’s not really how negotiating works, but that’s what we’re dealing with … When they put out their quarterly report and they’ve got these astronomical losses and they’re blaming it on the job action that’s been happening — but the uncertainty in the market has been created by their inability to stay at the bargaining table and negotiate with us.”
The last time The Citizen spoke with Chouinard, she said that she and other workers had a feeling of optimism regarding Wednesday’s negotiations. However, now she feels the opposite — especially regarding the inability of the parties to find common ground.
“I don’t feel that today. It doesn’t feel good at all,” said Chouinard. “It has been an emotional roller-coaster for a lot of us, and the strike action that we did have over the Christmas period in November and December … it has been a financial roller-coaster. It’s nothing short of psychological warfare being in this negotiation with this employer.”
She added that, in her opinion, the statement put out by Canada Post has led to concerns over inflexibility regarding upcoming negotiations.
“Based on the statement that was put out today, it feels to me like there’s a chance that we are not going to continue being able to negotiate with Canada Post,” said Chouinard. “I don’t know what their intention might be. I feel like they’ve used all of their Hail Marys. I don’t know what else they could pull out to stall this process any further. It’s mind-blowing. I don’t know what more they could possibly do. For me, negotiations — that’s what this process is about. They’re clearly not interested. They just want to get what they want.”
During her interview with The Citizen, Chouinard added that, based on what she’s seen, there may be potential for job action if negotiations do not continue.
“This whole process has felt like we are slamming our heads against the wall,” said Chouinard. “Canada Post is going to make it so that we have no choice but to escalate because we can’t keep doing this. We are literally running ourselves into the timeline where we would actually start negotiating our next collective agreement. That’s how long this process is taking. The time is ticking. It’s ridiculous. Do we need to escalate? That’s a decision somebody above me is going to make — but I feel like there’s never been more potential for that, unfortunately.”
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