Canada Post, union gear up for renewed bargaining with special mediator

Canada Post and the national representing striking postal workers volition caput backmost to the bargaining array connected Monday, this clip with a peculiar mediator appointed by the national government.

Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) took to the picket lines Friday successful a nationwide onslaught that has halted each message and parcel work by the Crown corporation.

Jan Simpson, president of CUPW, told Global News’s Amandalina Letterio connected Sunday that talks betwixt the national and leader are acceptable to resume connected Monday.

Peter Simpson, a peculiar mediator appointed by the national authorities connected Thursday, volition usher the renewed negotiations.

Jan Simpson said the national “looks guardant to moving with the caller mediator,” adding that “the champion corporate agreements are those negotiated astatine the bargaining table.”

A spokesperson for Canada Post told Global News connected Sunday that the Crown corp besides supports the assignment of a peculiar mediator, but added that “the parties stay acold isolated astatine the table.”

“We stay committed to reaching caller agreements astatine the bargaining table, and not done arbitration and discussions continue,” the spokesperson said.

Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon said connected Friday helium “is not looking astatine immoderate different solution different than negotiation” to extremity the Canada Post strike, which concern groups person charged volition person damaging consequences for the Canadian system and tiny businesses.

MacKinnon intervened this past week successful larboard shutdowns crossed British Columbia and Quebec, ordering binding arbitration to get goods flowing again done maritime channels.

Postal workers are seeking improvements successful wages, benefits and wellness and information conditions aft years of stagnant wage done the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery.

Canada Post and the national person been bargaining for a year.

Simpson told Letterio connected Sunday that “nobody wants to beryllium connected the picket line.” She said CUPW sought to debar a drawn retired dialog and occupation action, but argued that Canada Post has not yet travel to the array with “realistic” offers that admit the enactment of postal workers during the pandemic.

Trending Now

“We’ve fallen behind,” she said. “Canada Post had agreed that, this circular of bargaining, they’d assistance workers to drawback up.”

Canada Post says it has offered “competitive wages” to the national successful the signifier of an 11.5 per cent wage hike implicit 4 years, positive further paid permission and defined-benefit pension protections.

Simpson said the leader besides needs to code wellness and information concerns astatine the caller Albert Jackson processing centre successful Scarborough, Ont., which opened past year.

Also cardinal to the negotiations is simply a projected enlargement of Canada Post work to 7 days a week. Simpson told Global News that the national has enactment guardant its ain exemplary for however seven-day-a-week transportation could work, but said Canada Post’s representatives “keep saying no.”

The nationalist postal carrier’s finances are successful dire straits amid a diminution successful missive volumes implicit caller years, putting the Crown corp successful a choky spot arsenic labour talks continue. Simpson said Sunday that portion workers are looking guardant to expanding Canada Post’s services connected the different broadside of negotiations, the aboriginal needs to beryllium built connected a coagulated corporate statement with the union.

“They cannot expect to hole the problems that Canada Post has connected the backs of these workers,” Simpson said.