June 22, 2011
Bill to put post
office back to work
Workers at Canada Post could be
back on the job later this week.
Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt introduced legislation Monday to end
the current work stoppage involving the post office and the Canadian
Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
“Our government is concerned about the effect this strike is having on
Canada's economic recovery and on Canadians,” Raitt said in a statement.
“Canadians gave us a strong mandate to complete our economic recovery,
and this is why we will put legislation on notice to ensure resumption
and continuation of postal services.”
Entitled the “Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act,” the
back-to-work legislation will bring an end to the work stoppage which
started on June 3 with rotating strikes by CUPW.
The mail service shut down completely after Canada Post locked out the
union last Wednesday.
CUPW’s collective agreement, covering approximately 50,000 postal
workers, expired on January 31, 2011.
Negotiations began in October 2010, and parties are still in a
stalemate on key issues.
“My preference is always for the parties to resolve their own labour
dispute and reach an agreement through negotiations,” Raitt said.
“I am concerned that the ongoing talks between the parties have not
produced an agreement despite assistance from the Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service.
“Our government must act to protect the public interest and the
country’s economy as a whole.”
Canada Post pulled the plug on mail service across the country last
week following 12 days of rotating strikes by CUPW.
In a statement, the post office said the accelerating decline in mail
volumes and revenue caused by CUPW's rotating walkouts, “combined with
the inability to deliver mail on a timely and safe basis, has left
Canada Post with no choice but to make this decision.”
CUPW national president Denis Lemelin said the government's
back-to-work legislation will result in “the very outcome that nobody
wants."
"An imposed settlement brings down terms that neither party has agreed
to," he said.
"We believe in free speech, free association, and free collective
bargaining. This legislation hurts the values that our country stands
for and is an attack on workers' rights and standard of living.
"We will nevertheless continue to struggle for the rights of our
members, the rights of all workers, and a just society built on decent
jobs."
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