Canada Post has agreed to a 30-day extension of negotiations with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), meaning mail service will be in place for at least the next month.

“Canada Post has informed CUPW that what our employees and our customers need is long-term certainty in the postal system. Therefore, we are fully prepared to negotiate intensively for the next 30 days under an extended ‘cooling off period’ to reach negotiated settlements. However, if the parties are unable to successfully conclude negotiations within that period, both parties must agree to binding arbitration,” Canada Post stated in a release today.

CUPW proposed the 30-day cooling off period to Canada Post management to address concerns about uncertainty in the mail system and give negotiations a chance to succeed.

“Our members, their families and all Canadians do not deserve to have this threat of a lockout ‘looming’ over our heads from a profitable public service. Postal workers want to work and people need to know that it’s safe to use the mail system,” said Mike Palecek, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

The union says it is also prepared to engage in intensive negotiations with Canada Post during the cooling-off period, which would include an extension of the terms and conditions of 50,000 workers’ current contracts. As a sign of good faith, it has offered to drop an unfair labour practices complaint filed against Canada Post if management agrees to the union’s proposal.

Canada Post and the union have been in discussions since late 2015, with 60 days of conciliation and almost 30 more days with federal mediators, yet the parties remain far apart on key issues.

“The impasse has caused tremendous uncertainty, which is having a major impact on the business, our customers and our employees,” Canada Post stated, adding, “Our employees are coming to work to find the amount of mail and parcels they process and deliver has dropped significantly. Parcel volumes from our major e-commerce customers have declined by more than 80%. Yesterday alone, the amount of mail deposited across our network was down more than 80% compared with the same day last year.

“A short-term extension, as proposed by the union, with the continued threat of a work disruption will not reverse this severe decline. What Canada Post has put forward is a reasonable approach that will end the uncertainty immediately and allow for meaningful discussions at the bargaining tables,” it stated, concluding, “The corporation is committed to reaching settlements that are affordable and reasonable.”

Canada Post is demanding concessions from the postal workers and has budged little over the past months, CUPW noted in a bulletin to members, adding the Crown corporation filed for conciliation early on in the process and issued a lockout notice just one week after making its first offer.

“Instead of negotiating with us fairly, this profitable crown corporation has been busy scaring businesses and the public off with threats of labour strife,” said Palecek. “They need to give that a rest and get back to the table with us.”

The union is trying to stave off the demands for cuts, which include less secure pensions for new hires, and is also trying to get Canada Post to reinvent itself by expanding and innovating services as well as addressing wage inequities between rural and urban mail carriers.

Meanwhile, the B.C. Government today announced it has developed contingency plans in the event of a Canada Post disruption.

Arrangements are being made to ensure that British Columbians continue to receive cheques and critical documents in the event of a Canada Post labour disruption, the province announced this afternoon.

British Columbians who receive government funds by direct deposit will not be affected by the labour action and will continue to receive their payments.

For those citizens who typically receive payments by regular mail such as income and disability assistance, childcare subsidies, or critical documents such as Residential Tenancy Branch information, arrangements will be made to enable cheques or documentation to be picked up at the respective local ministry, local agency or Service BC office.

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