Should We Be Preparing for a Canada Post Strike?

[teenytrinkets]

Is anyone closely following strike negotiations?

I'll likely have Time Away scheduled to avoid any Strike mayhem, but wondering what will happen to any lettermail/ packages that are already in the "stream". Will they sit at a depot/DC or on a truck for the duration, or will they likely have a rotating strike and keep moving things along with just delays?

[marnotom!]

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@tellephoto wrote:

Canada Post lost $748 million last year, but the Union wants a raise. Would this even fly in the private sector?

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If the employer has plans to improve its bottom line, it might fly.  If the employer wants to retain its employee base, it might fly.  It may be cheaper to hold onto experienced employees than to train new ones at not much of a savings in terms of wages.

Also, there's this thing called inflation that's been more prevalent lately.  It's not fair to make your employees effectively take a pay cut.

[fergua3]

but it may be reasonable for the union to agree to less of a pay increase under the circumstances.  Union wants 22% pay increase over the next 4 years.

I see the CP is finally going to take up the union's idea of opening banking services.....we'll see if that makes or loses money for CP.

[tellephoto]

No one wants to see employees take a pay cut.  Inflation is a factor. Like everything else, costs go up. If Canada Post increases their prices to lessen their expenses.  We all pay more for their services, and this too adds to the inflation overall. Canada Post offered 11.5% over 4 years, but the union wants 22%.

[marnotom!]

And this is how negotiations are supposed to work. Both parties put forth proposals that they would like to see in the new contract, knowing full well that they’ll have to make concessions.

[reallynicestamps]

Union wants 22% pay increase over the next 4 years.

Lies **bleep** lies and statistics.

Sounds like a lot right? So that's what management is saying.

But.

It's also 5.5% per year.

Currently inflation is under 2% but that's 2% ON TOP OF the prices that inflation gives us based on the past four years, when inflation was as high as 8% (June 2022).
https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/inflation-cpi

The management offer of 11% over 4 years (besides being blatantly half of the union demand)  is based on current inflation, not on the loss of buying power in previous years.

Rents when we moved here were under $900 for a one bedroom apartment. Now they are $1700 on average.
Our house, thankfully mortgage free, has doubled in value. Mortgage rates are coming down, but a lot of people had to renegotiate mortgages a few months ago when rates were much higher.

And we've all been grocery shopping lately.

The schools are slowly starting to teach media awareness, something we older generations were not taught.

[skyline39]

We unlisted all our items and kept our buyers informed on progress of last two parcels , The packages arrived safely and now we will just wait it out before we add the listings back to our store. It does suck but it is what it is. Hoping they settle fast.

[flipistics]

They really need to bring in a law that ties wages to inflation, at least for people making less than maybe $200k or so. It would probably eliminate 90% of strikes and other related issues.

As far as I can tell, the main problem between Canada Post and the Union is actually the vision each side has for the future. Canada Post is desperate to improve efficiency (and frankly, they have to). The union seems to want to keep things as they are and try to add new revenue streams to compensate instead.

Wages and related things make up the bulk of Canada Post's costs. I don't think they can afford to bump wages by 23% even if they wanted to.

(When) a strike happens, I also don't think the Federal Government is going to be able to legislate arbitration. I don't think they have the votes to do so this time.

[flipistics]

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@skyline39 wrote:

We unlisted all our items and kept our buyers informed on progress of last two parcels , The packages arrived safely and now we will just wait it out before we add the listings back to our store. It does suck but it is what it is. Hoping they settle fast.

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You don't need to unlist your items. You can just put your store on time away.

[phc64]

Am I naive to believe that my buyers (especially Canadian buyers) will be understanding if their purchases get held up in the mail because of a labour disruption? And since 72 hours notice must be given before either side can initiate any such disruption, I believe that almost all international shipments will have left Canada before a labour disruption goes into affect. I will close my store once the 72 hour notice has been given, but before that happens I see no need to take any action.

[tellephoto]

From my experience, it can take 4 days.  Meaning, on the 4th day its already out of Canada.  It also depends on the time the goods are first sent into the mail system. Also, workers at Canada Post have not been happy with how long negotiations have been taking. That could contribute to a potential slow down.

[nhl_automotive]

Official notice has been given. Keep an eye on UPS and FedEx rates. They may increase.

[msau4301]

Yes, I saw the notice also. For anyone who hasn't here is a copy:

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has given a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post.

The notice is for both the union’s urban and rural bargaining units.

In a release early Tuesday morning, the union says workers will be in a legal strike position as of Friday if negotiated settlements have not been reached.

However, the union says its national executive board has yet to decide if a job action will happen at the deadline, saying that will depend on Canada Post’s actions at the bargaining table in the coming days.

Canada Post’s latest contract offer included annual wage increases that amounted to 11.5 per cent over four years. It also offered protection of the defined benefit pension for current employees, as well as job security and health benefits.

The union has rejected the proposal.

[fergua3]

Merry Christmas.

[tellephoto]

For those who are interested 

Unresolved Issues

After almost a year of bargaining, despite our best efforts, the parties remain far apart on many issues. The following are some of the key demands that have not been resolved:

• Wage increases in line with inflation
• COLA payments to be rolled into the basic wage rate
• The full elimination of SSD
• Time to prepare and deliver Neighbourhood Mail and changes to Article 50 and Appendices “V-1” and “D” to address route length and overburdening
• Improved staffing provisions, including forcing CPC to fill vacancies monthly, the deletion of Clause 39.04, improvements to Clause 39.05, creation of Group 1 relief positions, and changes to Appendix “P” to address local staffing issues
• Increase STDP payments from 70% to 80% of our wages and increase Injury on Duty payments to 88%
• Add 10 paid medical days to our 7 paid personal days, and allow medical days to be banked
• Significant improvements to our group benefits plans, including increased coverage for health specialists, fertility treatment, gender-affirming care, vision care, and more
• Improved rights for Temporary employees, including access to group benefits plans when working continuous assignments of 6 months or more
• Precautionary cessation of work for pregnant and breastfeeding employees
• Rotations of duties for Groups 3 and 4
• Paid meal and rest periods for workers working 5 hours or more
• Improved protections against technological change
• Improved protections against contracting out
• Improved protections against harassment
• Contract in cleaning, highway services, Combined Urban Services, and other work CUPW members can perform
• Service expansion projects, including postal banking, senior and other check ins, and an e-commerce platform

[fergua3]

mabye they'd also like a limo to pick them up each day to take them to work and then drop them home after work.

Bottom line is:  when you're working for a company that is losing money hand over fist you don't make a giant list of demands.  You thank your lucky stars you haven't been laid off...

I guarantee this list of 'demands' wouldn't be nearly so long if Canada Post didn't have a monopoly.

TIME TO PRIVATIZE CANADA POST ONCE AND FOR ALL.    It will be a painful period but then we'll never have to go through this again.

We are now facing the SECOND Christmas strike in a row   Postal Unions around the world condemed the last one and yet they're doing it again.  

This strike notice means no more incoming international parcels or mail.....they will all be turned away at their origin post offices until the labour dispute is resolved.  So whether they actually strike or not, no more international mail.

[byto253]

72 Hour notice given... my fault.  I had some auctions end on the weekend and planned to ship CP today to the US if there was no 72 hour notice.... tempted the fates, so it is the 25 minute drive each way to a chitchats drop off spot.   

At least I have that option!

[triber]

I have had my store on time-away for a couple of weeks, decided to end it this morning as there was no news on a strike, now had to put it on time-away again.

[byto253]

Karma baby! 😎

[mrdutch1001]

"union said it hasn't decided if a job action will take place immediately" ....so I am still waiting to see what actual, factual "action" will take place before I set "Time Away"

[darak10]

what I'm considering doing is adding Canada temporarily to my list of blocked countries for sale / shipment while all this nonsense shakes out.  I have seen a marked decrease in Canadian purchases in line with all the uncertainty but US sales are strong and I see little reason to shut down to shut them out given I have chitchats to fall back on for those.  They are faster getting stuff to the US than CPC is I've noticed, four days for CPC, 2-3 days for chitchats.