Canada Post, CUPW continue to work through mediation process

DAN CEARNS The Standard

DURHAM/KAWARTHA LAKES: Negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) are continuing, as strike action across the country continues.

In an emailed statement, on Sunday, December 8th, Canada Post media relations wrote, “Canada Post continues to wait for a formal response to the proposals shared with CUPW, through the mediator, on Friday afternoon.”

“Our proposals include significant moves, to close the gap, on key issues, like: weekend delivery, pensions and wages, to reach new agreements and get our people back to work. While we wait for a formal response at the table, CUPW has been actively and publicly sharing their views and details on our proposals, since Friday night. We continue to operate within a confidential process which was agreed to by Canada Post and CUPW. While we strongly disagree with the responses the union has shared publicly, we encourage CUPW to share their positions through the formal process,” the statement added.

On Friday, December 6th, a CUPW negotiator did a televised interview with CTV News.

"What we can see, from the offer which we received today, is, Canada Post is moving in the opposite direction than we need, to get to a negotiated collective agreement," the negotiator said. “We're extremely disappointed."

In their statement, Canada Post noted, “CUPW remains persistent in their demands to represent people outside their bargaining unit, such as making our cleaning staff, and other contracted support services, permanent Canada Post employees.”

In their own statement, on Friday, December 6th, CUPW stated, the union has “received Canada Post’s response to the Union’s counter proposals, presented through the government-appointed Special Mediator, on December 4th.”

“Union Negotiators are currently reviewing these latest proposals, before responding through the Special mediator. Given recent movements, we are wondering when the mediation process will officially resume. CUPW remains fully committed to returning to the bargaining table, to negotiate collective agreements [which] provide good jobs and a strong public post office. The Union wants nothing more than for our members to return to work, with their rights protected, so we can get back to serving all Canadian communities,” the CUPW statement added.