June 2, 2011
Postal union gives
strike notice
It's official.
Barring a last minute agreement, unionized staff at Canada Post could
be on strike by Friday.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced Monday it had
made a final offer to Canada Post in the hopes of negotiating a
settlement.
The union said its offer was a “last ditch effort” to avoid a strike.
At the same time, CUPW said it had also given the 72 hours notice,
required by the Canada Labour Code, of its intent to strike if there is
no settlement flowing from its final offer.
That means the union will be in a legal position to strike on Thursday,
June 2 at 11:59 pm EDT.
The union said the notice puts pressure on Canada Post to actually
negotiate.
"Striking is our only real bargaining lever with Canada Post and we
have concluded that we must give notice that we are willing to use our
legal right to strike to get a decent contract that meets the needs of
our members and preserves public postal service," said CUPW national
president Denis Lemelin.
"After seven months of negotiations, Canada Post continues to demand
major concessions, including unsafe work methods, a 22 per cent wage
reduction for new hires and the elimination of a sick leave plan that
members have had for over 40 years," said Lemelin.
"Canada Post's intransigence at the bargaining table has left the union
with little choice but to accept unsafe and unfair conditions or
strike. But we hope it won't come to that."
Lemelin said the union is willing to bargain right up to the strike
deadline to get a contract based on its final offer, which means that a
work disruption could still be averted.
Canada Post responded to the union's announcement with a brief
statement saying that, in the event of a strike, “Canada Post will not
operate.”
“Mail and parcels will not be delivered.”
Canada Post said “contingency plans are in place to ensure the security
of our facilities and safety of any items that remain in the mail
stream during a work disruption.”
“There are also plans to ensure Canada Post returns to normal
operations as quickly as possible following any work disruption.
“Despite this development, talks between the company and union are
continuing in an effort to reach a negotiated settlement to this round
of labour negotiations.”
However, in a later press release, the company took a harder stand,
saying the union's offer is “out of touch” with the challenges facing
the post office.
“The union is prepared to shut down Canada's postal system even though
the company has proposed a deal that gives employees better pay and
benefits than they currently enjoy.
“The latest counter offer from the union does nothing to address the
significant challenges facing the company.”
In the event of a postal strike that lasts until next Wednesday, June 8
or beyond, the North Renfrew Times will set up a distribution point for
local subscribers.
Details are still to be finalized.
Look for notices posted around town next Tuesday, on the NRT website at
www.northrenfrewtimes.com, or call the office at 584-4161.
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