Mail delivered by Canada Post could come to a grinding halt on July 2 if the crown corporation and the union representing its employees can鈥檛 reach a new contract agreement.
The rhetoric between the two parties has been getting louder over the past few weeks with both sides blaming each other for failing to find a solution.
鈥淐anada Post will be in a position to lock us out as of July 2 and every indication is that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e intending to do,鈥� said Mike Palecek, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been at the table now for seven months and they鈥檝e been refusing to move on any of their major concessions that they鈥檙e putting forward.鈥�
Last week Canada Post began warning customers of a possible service disruption after a 60-day conciliation period ended without a new agreement. The two parties have now entered a 21-day 鈥渃ooling off鈥� period before both parties have the right to strike or lockout.
鈥淚f they lock us out it would mean shutting down the post office. You would see mail delivery halt and you would have no ability to send mail either,鈥� said Palecek.
Mouktar Abdillahi, a spokesperson for Canada Post, said the crown corporation is working hard to hammer out a deal that is fair for everyone.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e looking for is a deal that is fair to our employees, that is affordable to the corporation and that doesn鈥檛 place a burden on our customers,鈥� said Abdillahi.
In April the union accused Canada Post of trying to provoke a labour dispute by requesting conciliation help鈥揳 move that essentially started the clock on a countdown to a strike or lockout.
According to both sides there are several outstanding issues that need to be resolved before either side will consider a new agreement.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e demanding the elimination of our pension plan and replacing it with something that is much less secure, a defined contribution plan, where our pensions would be invested into the market and if the market crashes well then so do the pensions,鈥� explained Palecek.
He also said Canada Post wants to cut employees鈥� benefits and eliminate provisions designed to protect jobs at a time when the company reported a $44 million profit in the first quarter.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e just recorded their biggest first quarter profit since they started reporting quarterly so we don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any justification for the sort of cuts they are putting forward.鈥�
He also said one of the major issues is pay equity.
鈥淩ural and suburban mail carriers that are predominantly women get paid 28 per cent less than their urban counterparts that are predominantly men,鈥� said Palecek.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a human rights issue and we need to have a serious conversation about it, but up until now Canada Post is completely refusing.鈥�
Canada Post had very little to say about what is being discussed at the negotiation table, but said that it wanted a more 鈥渇lexible鈥� workforce.
鈥淥ne of the key things is we want more flexibility at delivering parcels during weekends so that we can respond to customers who are shopping 24-7,鈥� said Palecek.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 our new reality, but we鈥檙e structured in such a way, Monday to Friday nine to five, that the weekend is double time so that makes it more difficult to meet customers demand in a reasonable way.鈥�
Palecek said the union was open to looking at ways Canada Post can expand and adapt to a changing market.
鈥淲e鈥檙e willing to talk about that or try to, but really that鈥檚 a very small issue they鈥檙e putting onto the table compared to the massive cuts that they鈥檙e demanding.鈥�
A labour disruption in 2011 lasted nearly three weeks before the Conservative government passed back-to-work legislation, which the Supreme Court of Ontario later found to be unjust.
Paul Clarke
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