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oldhousejunk · ‎11-02-2018

Since the postal strike is growing, and reports are that the mail is backlogged and stuck on trucks, does anyone have any advice? I went to my local post office today to mail packages, but they are shut down. I have a lot of listings ending this week, which have a lot of bids on them - but if we can't mail them out what do we do?

I can't seem to find any info on this, or a way to contact the bidders to let them know about the strike.

Would it be best for us canadian sellers to just cancel all of our current listings (even with bids on?) and stop listing until the strike is over?

Any advice would be appreciated.

marnotom! · ‎11-11-2018

@cumos55 wrote:

Canada Post is caught between two realities

(1) The Canada Post Corporation Act --- The Government says Canada Post must do this.

(2) The Canada Labor Code --- CUPW, the postal union, says Canada Post must do this.

CUPW is putting the squeeze on Canada Post..... The last time this happened made Canada Post issue a lockout notice...... and then ....

The Government of Canada said ... Get Back to Work..... and the strike/lockout was over.

This is one of your better posts on this subject as it brings up the point that back to work legislation doesn't really do much to provide an incentive for meaningful bargaining, particularly on the employer's end. There's a lot of unfinished business from the last round of negotiations that CUPW has been eager to deal with, not just that associated with the urban/rural carriers divide.

femmefan1946 · ‎11-11-2018

@marnotom!

@happy_pigeon

It probably would be useful to have all the Canada Post threads amalgamated.

At least after 24 hours-- because it is even more of a pain to sort through 60 -odd posts to find a new point being made (or rehashed).

ypdc_dennis · ‎11-11-2018

@marnotom! wrote:
@ypdc_dennis wrote:
CUPW is trying to be cute, as only the sorting and distribution centres in the Toronto area are listed as being strike targets.
Back to the subject at hand, my understanding is that the rotating strikes affect specific sets of CUPW locals, which is why we sometimes see strikes affecting one-horse towns in the same geographical area as much larger centres.
It may be that those sorting and distribution centres were part of a local that the nearby retail locations weren't part of.

Those sorting centres are part of locals that cover a wider area. The entire area was closed the first time around. Gateway plant in Mississauga as I understand it, is part of the Toronto local. Scarborough (even though located in Toronto) has it's own local. The locals are a big jigsaw puzzle.

cumos55 · ‎11-11-2018

The mediator left for a few days.... and then the mediator was back for a few more days.

It could be that the mediator had a meeting with the labor minister.... the Government.

There could be a plan to end negotiations..... Lay it out for the union to accept things as they are with negotiations so far... or face the next situation.....

November 12....could be.... or ... will be ... an interesting day...

Could the Government be ready to end negotiations and declare a final agreement for CUPW and Canada Post?

We shall see......

cumos55 · ‎11-12-2018

from the CUPW website .....

"After many attempts to resolve the many outstanding issues that were necessary to achieve negotiated collective agreements, the parties remain far apart. The extended mandate of the mediator Mr. Morton Mitchnick has now expired.

In spite of the continued assistance of the mediator, Canada Post failed to address your key demands on health and safety, staffing, over-burdening, job security, a reduction in precarious employment, fair wages for all and a better work-life balance."

No Canada Post response noted...on their website..... not yet...

momcqueen · ‎11-12-2018

We all know how CUPW feels about the postal disruption, maybe the union and Canada Post managers should hear from Canadians affected by it.

Letter-writing campaign, anyone? Of course, the letters would have to be emailed because, you know, they’re on rotating strike. Online petition, perhaps?

On another note, I’d forgotten today is a statutory holiday for Canada Post due to Remembrance Day falling on a Sunday this year. No mail moving regardless.

ypdc_dennis · ‎11-13-2018

Tuesday morning, November 13:

Nova local (NS)
Toronto (ON)
Vancouver (BC): Mail Processing Plant (PPC)
York Distribution Centre (YDC)

ypdc_dennis · ‎11-13-2018

Some of the troops have been getting restless, so the Toronto local is warning they will be punished if working any overtime.

a proud union exec

Side note: With the current rotational strikes, there is no CUPW strike pay for members on the picket line. Which is one reason CUPW likes rotational strikes -- it saves the union money.

-..-

momcqueen · ‎11-13-2018

“Side note: With the current rotational strikes, there is no CUPW strike pay for members on the picket line. Which is one reason CUPW likes rotational strikes -- it saves the union money.”

Huh. The average worker is told to strike, told to reject overtime and yet receives no compensation for doing so from the people who are doing all the telling? Isn’t that the entire point of paying union dues: so that it acts as insurance pay during job action? Are the union executives working for no pay during the job action as well?

There must be some key facet I’m not understanding here.

ypdc_dennis · ‎11-13-2018

@momcqueen wrote:
“Side note: With the current rotational strikes, there is no CUPW strike pay for members on the picket line. Which is one reason CUPW likes rotational strikes -- it saves the union money.”

Huh. The average worker is told to strike, told to reject overtime and yet receives no compensation for doing so from the people who are doing all the telling? Isn’t that the entire point of paying union dues: so that it acts as insurance pay during job action? Are the union executives working for no pay during the job action as well?

There must be some key facet I’m not understanding here.

Strike pay only kicks in if CUPW members are off for 5 days -- a full blown strike...

kawartha-ephemera · ‎11-13-2018

@ypdc_dennis wrote:
Some of the troops have been getting restless, so the Toronto local is warning they will be punished if working any overtime.

a proud union exec
Side note: With the current rotational strikes, there is no CUPW strike pay for members on the picket line. Which is one reason CUPW likes rotational strikes -- it saves the union money.

-..-

The attitude of at least some of the union leadership reflected in the last line of this communique is beyond disappointing. I suppose this should not be surprising given that the union brass seems to feel they're guiding the Corporation's business strategy, ie; postal banking.

Part of me hopes this document is an internet hoax. Where was this document seen?

I've just answered my own question. I see this bulletin is publicly available on the Toronto CUPW site ... I'm floored the union would make such a public statement.

rose-dee · ‎11-13-2018

I agree with you. Seeing that last comment is disgusting, as if putting other people's livelihoods at risk (i.e. online sellers) is somehow an "accomplishment" to crow about. It tells me they have no intention of negotiating in good faith. No, they're enjoying their ability to put the screws to the whole country. This is no doubt going to ratchet up fairly soon, on one side or the another.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... I have an important parcel to send to B.C. Do I take my chances with the free Xpresspost label I got a couple of weeks ago, or ask my customer to pay $50 US to ship via UPS? Rock and a hard place.

ricarmic · ‎11-13-2018

I too am very sad to see comments like that.

I'm actually of a mind that neither side seems to be remembering that customers are also paying the price. As was the case last time, I don't even know what "side" I'm on any more, it is very hard to know what to believe.

I was hopeful over the weekend that it would be resolved and was disappointed that it wasn't.

I too think something more significant will happen, the worst case IMO is them being legislated back as that could actually make things worse than the current rotating strikes.

Time will tell.

pjcdn2005 · ‎11-13-2018

@rose-dee wrote:

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... I have an important parcel to send to B.C. Do I take my chances with the free Xpresspost label I got a couple of weeks ago, or ask my customer to pay $50 US to ship via UPS? Rock and a hard place.

Considering there have been very few reports here of packages being delayed, I know what I would do.

momcqueen · ‎11-13-2018

I feel like it’s time to mobilize the collateral damage: online sellers and online shoppers. I resent being used as a pawn when MY livelihood as an online seller and MY holiday shopping as a buyer is at stake despite the fact I’ve got no place at the table.

ypdc_dennis · ‎11-13-2018

Canada Post statement:

Unfortunately, the growing impact of the union’s rotating strikes on postal operations across the country means Canada Post must suspend its service delivery guarantees until further notice.

We will continue to make best efforts to deliver, but the union’s strike efforts have caused significant backlogs and delays throughout our network. As of today, our major processing centre in Vancouver was shut down from Friday evening to Tuesday morning and Toronto is now shut down, significantly impacting our ability to process mail and parcels. In Toronto alone, more than 180 trailers full of parcels, packets and mail sit idle as the union shuts down the facility for a third time in less than a month. Striking to shut down a processing facility not only impacts our operations at that location, it chokes the flow of mail and parcels to our delivery facilities.

We apologize for the inconvenience and are advising customers to expect delays. We remain committed to serving Canadians and will continue to do everything possible to minimize the impacts of the union’s strike activities.

Update on Negotiations

Despite lengthy discussions and continued proposals by Canada Post to respond to the union’s demands through three rounds of mediation, we are still no closer to a deal.

The Corporation has made significant offers to CUPW that include increased wages, job security and improved benefits, and it has not asked for any concessions in return. We value the relationship with the union and have responded to their major demands with meaningful improvements and a commitment to continue to work together to find solutions that address the changing nature of the work and the health and safety of employees.

It’s important that we move forward together to resolve negotiations in a manner that treats employees fairly and ensures the postal service remains strong without putting an unreasonable financial burden on our customers.

-..-

momcqueen · ‎11-13-2018

I found it at http://cupw-sttp.ca/overtime2.pdf

That comment makes me angry. We as online sellers are being treated as expendables. That could be ANY of our parcels in that 'huge backlog' which the executive of that local is so 'proud' to have 'accomplished'. My purchase of postage pays the wages of CUPW members from top to bottom as well as Canada Post management.

It's an insult. I'm disgusted. Any sympathy that I had has dropped to less than zero.

forester_studios · ‎11-13-2018

As well consider the long term damage this could do to Canada Post/CUPW's image. We are some of their best customers. I know if I treated my customers with that level of contempt I would not have them. As well the timing of this, coming in the 4th quarter when it is make or break time for many small businesses, could not be worse. Obviously the union brass think it is a great pressure tactic to clog the system with parcels 6 weeks before Christmas.

I wonder what many Canadian consumers will think when "little Johnny" doesn't get his gift that Granny sent from far away. They will likely think "well lets NEVER send gifts through the mail again". If this situation results in long term losses in business for CP, guess who will pay even higher rates so the workers get paid.

As well, before someone accuses me of being anti union, I am not. My sister and Mom both had union jobs in their lifetimes and had better lives for it. I just think balance and reason has to be reestablished at some point. Sorry to ramble on, but I've been watching things since it started in October and am getting tired of the whole mess. Thanks for you time, folks.

hlmacdon · ‎11-13-2018

@momcqueen wrote:

It's an insult. I'm disgusted. Any sympathy that I had has dropped to less than zero.

Pretty much. I have sympathy for workers (mostly the rural route carriers) who are subjected to some pretty scummy labor practices but I have no sympathy for a union team that refuses to meaningfully address with Canada Post, and perhaps better inform the country for that matter, the reasons why Canada Post ends up in a situation where it feels it needs to employ such scummy labor practices to cut costs. If, for example, one of the sweetheart rate contracts for certain named retail accounts was to be made public, there wouldn't be much sympathy for Canada Post. If they are not going to be privatized then they should be serving the needs of the public as a whole, not specific retailers. I mean **bleep**, when was the last time (other than a free shipping Tuesday I guess), that you could ship a parcel across the country, for oh I don't know, say $4-5 Canadian?

ypdc_dennis · ‎11-13-2018

@rose-dee wrote:
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... I have an important parcel to send to B.C. Do I take my chances with the free Xpresspost label I got a couple of weeks ago, or ask my customer to pay $50 US to ship via UPS? Rock and a hard place.

One of the other forum sites I view had several people recommending a look at https://shiptime.com/