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momcqueen · ‎07-07-2016

Good news overnight on the looming postal lockout/strike front. To paraphrase The Godfather, the federal government has made an offer they can't refuse.

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/blogs/announcements/details.page?article=2016/07/06/canada_post_pre...

Canada Post Prepared to Submit to Binding Arbitration

Federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, MaryAnn Mihychuk, has asked both Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW-Urban and CUPW-RSMC) to submit to binding arbitration to resolve the current impasse at negotiations.

The Canada Post Corporation has already agreed. "It is our hope that CUPW will consider submitting to binding arbitration to end the uncertainty. Canada Post is extending the current 72-hour notice period to Monday at 12:01 am to provide time for the union to consider this option."

It would be suicide for the unions to refuse, although I do expect they will make a show of doing so and wait until the final moments to concede. Binding arbitration is the best we can hope for at this point.

femmefan1946 · ‎07-08-2016

I suspect that the rural/urban carriers question will be sacrificed (and from what I read the two jobs are very different) in order to get the defined benefit pensions confirmed.

This will affect more workers than the carriers and is also being watched by other unions.

A defined contribution pension is good for the company.

A defined benefit pension is good for the worker.

momcqueen · ‎07-08-2016

From CBC http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cupw-extension-request-canada-post-1.3670028

Canada Post, union remain divided as offer of bargaining truce founders

"Hope that a work stoppage at Canada Post could be avoided for at least one more month faded Friday as a proposed truce fell apart over what the union called a 'poison pill' from the Crown corporation."

As to the headline, I think they meant 'flounders' as opposed to 'founders'. Typo.

Canada Post Corporation apparently agreed to CUPW's proposed 30-day cooling off period on the condition that if no agreement was reached, they'd go to binding arbitration. Which again the Union said 'no' to and instead called it a 'poison pill'.

fort2b · ‎07-08-2016

still think they'll change their mind by Sunday?

momcqueen · ‎07-08-2016

I still think it's suicide if they don't.

tobyshitzu · ‎07-08-2016

The defined benefit pensio is going to bankrupt the company

bassox333 · ‎07-08-2016

It won't bankrupt the company if they look into expending services to other areas mentioned and endorsed by the union. This uncertainty, however, and a prolonged labor disruption, will do so for sure. We've made other plans to be implemented on Monday regardless of the strike and if they work out the way that we're hoping, we may never go back to Canada Post. I suppose that we will see what happens come Monday.

dutchman48 · ‎07-08-2016

That is a huge assumption. Look at the USPS and what the pension issue has done to it.

fort2b · ‎07-08-2016

I think Palecek wants a lockout. He's doing everything he can to force CP to lockout the workers. He doesn't care about the public, as he claims, he doesn't care about the workers, as he claims. He just seems to have a personal vendetta against CP and is going to see it through, no matter who gets hurt in the process. As I said before, his pay won't stop during a lockout, so it's no skin off his nose and he can use a lockout to try and make CP look like the villains.

The only chance is if the workers themselves protest loud enough and he has to accept binding arb. That's what will happen eventually, it's just a question if it's now or 3 months from now when the workers are all starving and losing their cars and homes.

doc_scribe · ‎07-08-2016

Canada Post, union remain divided as offer of bargaining truce founders

As to the headline, I think they meant 'flounders' as opposed to 'founders'. Typo.

Hate to sound like an intelligent donkey, but both words *could* be used in this context. 'Flounder' means to stumble or struggle clumsily whereas 'founder' means to fail, typically nautically, as in a sinking ship.

Personally, I prefer the latter.

momcqueen · ‎07-08-2016

Well put. I was reading it as an unintelligent donkey.

dutchman48 · ‎07-08-2016

The Federal Government should pass legislation that if a contract not reached in a certain time frame, binding arbitration.The postal union and specifically their leaders seem to do nothing but create these messes with unrealistic demands. That is why they do not want binding arbitration.

That way this type of fiasco will not happen again.

It will be one good thing they do for the public and will not cost them much money.

zee-chan · ‎07-08-2016

Probably just getting repetitive, but for something like a binding arbitration, the members should be allowed to vote on it, not just decided by Palecek.

I think the "argument" of gender equality pay from Palecek is quite weak. As mentioned by other posters, the rural workers have a less physically demanding job and the pay reflects that, which I personally don't think is unfair. Not to mention that it is less costly to live in rural areas compared to urban areas so even with less pay, the rural workers can arguably save more money because of difference in cost of living.

For my profession, due to shortages in rural area, people who are willing to relocate there are paid more in terms of better benefits and such (and it can be tougher working there). I don't have a problem with that because I like to stay where I am and kudos to those willing to relocate.

marnotom! · ‎07-08-2016

@fort2b wrote:

I think Palecek wants a lockout. He's doing everything he can to force CP to lockout the workers. He doesn't care about the public, as he claims, he doesn't care about the workers, as he claims. He just seems to have a personal vendetta against CP and is going to see it through, no matter who gets hurt in the process. As I said before, his pay won't stop during a lockout, so it's no skin off his nose and he can use a lockout to try and make CP look like the villains.

The only chance is if the workers themselves protest loud enough and he has to accept binding arb. That's what will happen eventually, it's just a question if it's now or 3 months from now when the workers are all starving and losing their cars and homes.

Interesting notion, but then why float the idea of a 30 day cooling off period if Palecek reeeea-hully wants a lockout? Seems to make more sense for Palecek to keep that play in his back pocket and just see if Canada Post makes good on its thread of a lockout. Why unnecessarily give Canada Post more reasons to wear that white hat?

Don't forget, Canada Post has backpedalled a couple of times on this already. The binding arbitration "poison pill" strikes me as being a pretty desperate move when CUPW rejected the notion earlier in the so-called negotiations process.

bcwet · ‎07-08-2016

They have already been negotiating for 7 months to no avail! Binding arbitration was brought up to both parties by the minister of labour. Cupw is digging their own grave like they did the last time.

momcqueen · ‎07-08-2016

Essentially the same story, different headline. From. 59 minutes ago.

Canada Post, union remain divided as offer of bargaining truce stalls
2 sides appear far apart on many issues as lockout deadline looms

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/business/cupw-extension-request-canada-post-1.3670028

cumos55 · ‎07-08-2016

The future of Canada Post

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/business/canada-post-lockout-essential-service-1.3666606

Delivering the on-line world as advertised by Canada Post......e-commerce..... and lots more parcels to deliver

There could be a time in the future when there are no strikes, and no more lockouts.

Binding arbitration... always.... and the sooner the better.

Canada Post is moving in this direction...

--- Community mailboxes.... focused delivery of lettermail and some parcels

--- Delivery vehicles for those that deliver mail

---On-line buyers can have their parcels held at a local postal outlet.... less lost mail... and much less use of a community mailbox...

The government's review of Canada Post could be the start of this process.......

More future.......

--- delivery to community mailboxes.... 3 days one week, 2 days the next week--- one person does two routes..... over a 2 week period....

--- postal outlets will become parcel delivery/pickup outlets....

---- and... perhaps.... a more focused ... delivery service... specifically parcels to all destinations in Canada

Now.....Just a thought... Perhaps.... unions could become more important as a part of Canada Post, working within... and with.....Canada Post on a daily basis.....

marnotom! · ‎07-08-2016

@bcwet wrote:

They have already been negotiating for 7 months to no avail!

And as a result, CUPW has filed a formal complaint with the Canada Industrial Relations Board alleging that Canada Post has been negotiating in bad faith. Why are we assuming that the impasse is completely the fault of the union?

cumos55 · ‎07-08-2016

There are three sides to every argument...

Yours..... Mine... and...... the truth

CPC... CUPW.... or somewhere in between... or just somewhere...

CPC and CUPW are playing a game... and neither side is winning

and we all lose... everyone who uses or has used Canada Post is losing..... big time

bcwet · ‎07-09-2016

They should let their members vote on binding arbitration! They did not drop their coute case against CPC but we're willing to if granted another 30 day extension. They just came off of an extension and doubled down on their offer going as far as wanting concessions from 2012 back! Most unions would be happy to go to binding arbitration but cupw would like to stall this negotiation until September a much busier time when businesses can be hurt much more than during the summer.