MANITOULIN—The picket lines have risen and the striking workers at Canada Post are adamant they are in it for the long haul.
Canada Post workers went on strike early Friday, November 15 after failing to reach an agreement with their employer, shutting down the corporation’s mail service across the country. The striking urban, rural and suburban mail carriers are members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and host 55,000 workers in their ranks.
According to both sides in the dispute, little progress has been made during bargaining that have been ongoing since November 15, 2023.
Although the federal government has said it has no plans to intervene in the strike itself, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the appointment of Peter Simpson, director general of the federal mediation and conciliation service, to support negotiations between Canada Post and CUPW—the day before the strike was officially called.
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—but that offer falls far below what the union is seeking. The union is seeking double that amount, citing the lost ground due to inflation and the need for workers to be paid a living wage—shortfalls which they allege fall far below a fair deal.
CUPW is asking for a 24 percent compounded wage increase over four years, safer working conditions, more medical days and improved protections against harassment; improved benefits plans and better rights for temporary employees; the right to retire with dignity; and an expansion of services at the public post office.
One of the key sticking points is that Canada Post wishes to expand its services into the weekend through part-time employees, while the union is looking to see more full-time workers being employed by the corporation.
For its part, Canada Post says it has lost $490 million in the first half of 2024, part of a total $3 billion lost since 2018. The company alleges that a strike will only further contribute to an already dire financial circumstance and that the union’s demands will lead to more fixed costs that Canada Post can’t afford.
Union members are skeptical of Canada Post’s position, noting a number of moves by the Crown corporation that have placed it in its current financial pickle—including the purchase of more than 800 new postal trucks, evidence the corporation is placing infrastructure investment above safe working conditions for its workers.
With rising costs, especially for fuel, and the increased package delivery load that they feel has not been adequately compensated for, the workers on the picket line express frustration saying they are being forced to pay for the corporation’s mismanagement.
Among the missteps workers point to, is that the rising economic bemouth that is China is still classified as a “Third World” entity—leading to vastly cheaper mail delivery rates.
Despite the federal government’s assertion that it is not looking to intervene in the strike, there is precedence for legislating a return to work.
The strike comes at a critical time for many businesses, as Canada Post is the most economical delivery solution for many small businesses and large corporations alike—and the Christmas shopping season is upon us.
More and more Canadians do a lot of their shopping online, and Canada Post is how much of that shopping gets delivered. Companies such as Amazon have already cancelled orders and supplied refunds, and many small businesses have effectively shuttered for the duration of the strike.
Previous Canada Post labour disruptions have ranged from 15 days in 1997, 13 days of rotating strikes in different cities in the early summer of 2011 (with a lockout taking place on June 15) and a whopping 31 days in 2018 that covered parts of October and November—in this case the federal government ordered the end of the strike on November 27 of that year.
The Expositor has taken measures to ensure readers are able to get their newspaper each Wednesday as usual. If you get your paper at a post office box in your area post office, your Expositor should get to you there. The paper will continue to be available at local stores that carry the paper. If you get your paper delivered through a rural route carrier, your newspaper can be picked up at the following locations (note, these papers will not be individually addressed): Little Current, Sheguiandah, Aundeck Omni Kaning and surrounding areas—The Expositor office in Little Current; Gore Bay and Western Manitoulin— The Expositor office in Gore Bay; Assiginack—outside the Manitowaning post office; M’Chigeeng—delivered to your mailboxes; Mindemoya—outside the Mindemoya post office; Providence Bay—outside the Providence Bay post office’ Tehkummah—outside the Tehkummah post office; Wiikwemkoong—outside the Wiikwemkoong post office; and Whitefish Falls—beside the community mailboxes. For off-Island subscribers, your papers will be delivered once the strike ends. In any event, the paper can be accessed at Manitoulin.com (the paywall will be lifted during the labour disruption).
