Entering its fourth week of labour disputes with no end in sight, Canada Post says the latest offer from striking union workers is “extremely disappointing.”
On Monday, the Crown corporation said the most recent proposals from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) further widen the gap between the two parties.
This comes after the 55,000-member union outlined several combined demands for its urban, rural and suburban mail carriers, including a 19-per cent wage increase over four years, a cost of living allowance and ten medical days in addition to seven days of personal leave.
“In the last few weeks, Canada Post has made several important moves to close the gap and reach negotiated agreements, but the union has reverted to their previous positions or increased their demands,” the corporation’s online statement read.
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Canada Post says it’s facing financial pressures, further exacerbated by the strike which is now on its 26th day. The national courier service says it will record another significant loss this year, marking its seventh consecutive annual loss for the corporation. Since 2018, the company has lost more than $3 billion, it added.
The CUPW says it’s still waiting for Canada Post to begin bargaining with good faith, and not “surface-level proposals, or new demands that derail progress.” The union is calling on the Crown corporation to consider the proposals seriously, as it’s a reflection of the needs of many in the workforce.
“None of us want to be on the picket line, but we cannot continue with management steamrolling workers with random ideas they have to change work rules and impact our safety,” CUPW National President Jan Simpson said in an online statement on Monday.
Simpson has also opened up about receiving racialized threats from angry consumers during the tense negotiations ahead of the holiday season, first reported by the Toronto Star on Tuesday. While she says she understands why consumers are upset, she remains steadfast in the fight for equity.
“I don’t take this fight lightly. We have a real responsibility to ensure that good jobs remain within the community. For me, it’s really, really important that we have an equitable society where people don’t fall behind,” Simpson said to the Star.
The strike began on Nov. 15. Calls for government intervention have increased from the business community, but so far the government has said it’s not stepping in. However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that the federal government is putting pressure on both sides to reach an agreement.
