Canada Post has issued a 72-hour lockout notice to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) bringing the the prospect of a halt to mail delivery by Friday. The notice came hours after Canada Post said its latest offer presented on June 25 was fair and reasonable and that it still hoped to negotiate a deal with the union. In the statement, Canada Post said it plans to suspend the collective agreement as of Friday. CUPW said the corporation is using the lockout notice to drive 50,000 workers “out onto the streets without pay in an effort to impose steep concessions on them.”
PENSIONS THE ISSUE
The two sides have both said the issue is changes to employee pension plans. The Crown corporation claims CUPW’s demands are “not affordable” and would add $1 billion in costs over the life of a new contract. The union accused Canada Post of preparing to lock workers out, and creating uncertainty by warning the public to avoid the post office. The Canada Revenue Agency has deemed Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, Working Income Tax Benefit and the Canada Child Benefit cheques “essential” — even during a labour disruption. Spokesman Jon Hamilton said Canada Post has a memorandum of agreement with the union “where the federal socio-economic cheques will be delivered.”