Canada Post removes the condition of binding arbitration from its latest proposal

CUPW has formally declined the offer made this morning, and we understand based on the most recent CUPW bulletin that they are “Rejecting Binding Arbitration”.

In response, Jessica McDonald, Chair of the Board of Directors and Interim President and CEO of Canada Post, has reached out directly to Mike Palecek, National President of CUPW, to remove the condition of binding arbitration from our latest proposal of a cooling-off period.

Every other element of our offer, including the special payment of up to $1,000 for CUPW-represented employees, remains valid until 5 pm ET today.

2018/11/19

Canada Post offers special payment of up to $1,000 to all CUPW-represented employees as part of a last-ditch effort to deliver the holidays

With no deal emerging from the weekend’s efforts, Canada Post is focusing on saving the holiday season deliveries that are so critical for retailers, charities and Canadians.

In a last-ditch effort to deliver the holidays, Canada Post has proposed to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that the two parties work together through January during a cooling-off period that would immediately end rotating strikes, allow for mediation to resume and introduce a process to achieve a final resolution.

“With the rotating strikes, resulting backlogs, and the massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday volumes that will arrive within days, we are trying everything we can to work together with the union – urgently – to deliver the holidays to Canadians,” says Jessica McDonald, Chair of the Board of Directors and Interim President and CEO. “This proposal also includes a way for the parties to resolve their differences and these negotiations.”

There is an urgent need for Canada Post to restore full operations. With hundreds of trailers loaded with parcels already backlogged at our facilities – and the growing repercussions for customers and the Canadian retail economy –this proposal is open for acceptance until 5:00 p.m. on November 19. After that time, Canada Post would lose its last window of opportunity to clear the backlogs before the oncoming wave of volumes reaches its facilities.

In an effort to restore full operations and deliver oncoming volumes, Canada Post is proposing:

• A cooling-off period, effective immediately and lasting until January 31, 2019, which is past the holiday peak volumes, as well as high volumes driven by Boxing Day sales and the return of holiday purchases in January. During the cooling-off period, CUPW would not strike or take any other job action, and the Corporation would not lock out employees;

• Immediately starting further mediation with a jointly-agreed, government-appointed mediator until the end of the cooling-off period;

• A special payment of up to $1,000 for CUPW-represented employees that would be paid at the end of January if there is no labour disruption before the cooling-off period ends;

• To reinstate both collective agreements with CUPW, including all employee benefits, for the duration of the cooling-off period;

• If agreements have not been reached by January 31, the mediator would submit recommendations for settlement. If they are not adopted by the parties, binding arbitration would be introduced.

Canada Post is making this proposal in a spirit of cooperation and in hope of delivering the holidays to Canadians and avoiding the significant financial and economic damage that would be felt if rotating strikes continued.

2018/11/19

Providing clarity on Flex-Time and peak season in our time-limited offer

By now you have likely seen the time-limited offer we tabled to quickly bring discussions to a close and reach a negotiated settlement with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). It provides a number of improvements and responds to the union’s concerns, including overburdening and health and safety.

Clarity on flex-time and overtime for Group 1

We want to provide clarity about the proposal regarding flex time and how it will impact overtime opportunities for Group 1 employees, particularly in mail processing.

With our offer, there will continue to be significant opportunities for mail processing employees to take on voluntary overtime.

The flexible work hours will only amount to a maximum of 10 per cent of the available full-time hours (at the national level). These flex schedules will be across the country. For the employees on flex schedules, the most common schedule will be four days of 10 hours with access to two hours of overtime on their scheduled days and access to overtime at premium on their three days off.

The proposal to create 500 jobs over three years is to respond to the union’s request to give temporary and part-time employees more opportunities to become full-time.

Full-time employees will still bid on schedules by seniority.

Clarity on peak season and overtime for Group 2

The peak season temporary workforce proposal contained in the offer is a Monday-to-Friday solution and is not for weekend work. Therefore it will not impact overtime opportunities on weekends. For current full- and part-time employees, overtime opportunities will continue to be available.

The offer contains significant improvements designed to conclude negotiations and get us all ready for the holiday season. It is all we can afford and represents the best opportunity to quickly resolve negotiations and deliver the holiday rush for Canadians.

2018/11/16

Canada Post tables significant, time-limited offer to CUPW-Urban

Today, Canada Post tabled a significant, time-limited offer to quickly bring discussions to a close and reach negotiated settlements with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), both Urban and RSMC.

Both offers include pay increases for all employees of 2 per cent per year for four years. We are also taking the extraordinary measure of offering a signing bonus of up to $1,000 for full-time employees and pro-rated for others to ensure we can all deliver holiday mail and parcels to Canadians while minimizing delay.

This offer also includes improvements to address the Union’s concerns around workloads and other issues. For example, for Urban, we now propose to suspend the application of clause 15.14 (compulsory overtime) for the duration of the collective agreement, and in updating volumes each year, we now propose to adjust the assessed workload of a route only if it results in a positive impact on the employee’s route.

In order to reinforce our commitment regarding the health and safety of our employees, we are also proposing a new $10-million Health and Safety Fund. It will pay for jointly identified initiatives that will accelerate our progress to improving our safety and reduce all incidents.

The offer contains significant improvements designed to conclude negotiations and get us all ready for the holiday season. It is all we can afford and represents the best opportunity to resolve negotiations.

If we can’t reach a resolution by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, November 17, 2018, it will unfortunately have to be withdrawn and re-evaluated based on the real and lasting impact that continued disruptions at this time of year would have on our customers and our business.

An important message to CUPW-represented employees and the offers are below.

CUPW offers – Message to employees and summaries (Urban & RSMC)

Read here the detailed summary of the offer tabled with the Union.

We will continue to keep you informed of key developments through your team leaders and the Negotiations Hub.

2018/11/14

New terms and conditions of employment in effect

While we remain at the bargaining table, ready to negotiate, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) today began strike action. As a result, Canada Post will follow the process in the Canada Labour Code to change the terms and conditions of your employment.

Read a letter from Interim Chief Human Resources Officer Ann Therese MacEachern about this.

Read the details of the new terms and conditions of employment for employees represented by CUPW-Urban.

We will continue to keep you informed of developments through your team leaders and the Negotiations Hub online. You can also see updates by visiting canadapost.ca and clicking on “I’m an employee.”

2018/10/22

Letter from Chief Human Resources Officer for employees represented by CUPW

Dear employee,

As you may be aware, the Union has filed a strike notice, which means they could begin strike action as early as Monday, October 22. I realize that creates uncertainty for you and your family about things that affect you personally, so I am writing to provide clarity and to reassure you as much as I can.

With the Union’s strike notice, the Corporation could legally revert the terms and conditions of your employment to the statutory minimums under the Canada Labour Code. However, we do not intend to change the terms and conditions, unless the Union initiates some form of legal job action.

Even if that happens, we would continue to provide you and your eligible dependents the following benefits: dental, vision & hearing and the Extended Health Care Plan (EHCP) – including applicable prescription drug coverage. There is more information in this terms and conditions document.

We do not wish to cause any undue hardship to you and, if we implement new terms and conditions and receive requests for exceptions from employees who face extenuating circumstances that we could not reasonably foresee, we will review them in an effort to offer relief on a compassionate basis.

We will continue to negotiate with the Union. Our goal is to reach a negotiated settlement that recognizes your significant contribution to the company’s success and sets us on a more collaborative path.

I’m confident we will find a better way forward that supports all of you in your daily efforts to serve Canadians in urban, suburban and rural communities. I ask for your continued patience as we work through this process.
Sincerely,

Ann Therese MacEachern,
Interim Chief Human Resources Officer

2018/10/17

Canada Post tables offer to CUPW-Urban

Earlier today, Canada Post tabled an offer to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW-Urban).

The offer builds on an earlier one presented on September 7, 2018. It provides wage increases in every year of the proposed agreement, improved benefits and makes no changes to the pension.

The offer also addresses many of the workload issues that employees face in handling more and more parcels every year. It adds more full-time positions in mail processing, greater opportunity for temporary and part-time employees, and improvements for the maintenance group.

In a letter to all CUPW-represented employees, the Chair of the Board of Directors and Interim President and CEO Jessica McDonald explains how we address concerns in both the Urban and RSMC groups and confirms the company’s commitment to work with CUPW to grow and improve the business.

While the conciliation process has concluded, talks are ongoing with the help of a mediator, and Canada Post continues to work toward a negotiated settlement.

The collective agreement between Canada Post and CUPW-Urban expired January 31, 2018 but the terms and conditions continue to apply for now.

We will continue to keep you informed of key developments through your team leaders and the Negotiations Hub.

Read here the detailed summary of the offer tabled with the Union.

2018/10/03

Canada Post tables offer in ongoing negotiations with CUPW-Urban

On Friday, September 7, Canada Post tabled an offer with your Union that provides wage increases in every year of the proposed four-year contract and makes improvements to your benefits.

The offer recognizes your positive contribution to the company’s success and sets a new, collaborative path forward.
Jessica McDonald, our Chair of the Board and Interim President and CEO, outlines what this offer means to you and your colleagues in a letter, below.

Negotiations began at the end of 2017 and the parties have been in facilitated talks for more than eight months. The conciliation phase ended at midnight on September 4, 2018 and we are now in a 21-day cooling-off period that ends at midnight, September 25, 2018. Meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing.

The collective agreement between Canada Post and CUPW-Urban expired January 31, 2018 but the terms and conditions continue to apply, in accordance with the Canada Labour Code.

We will continue to keep you informed of key developments through your team leaders and the Negotiations Hub.

Read here the detailed summary of the offer tabled with your Union.

2018/09/08

Talks continue as parties reach the halfway point in the conciliation process

Negotiators for Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have reached the halfway point in the ongoing 60-day conciliation process.

Canada Post continues to focus on finding the common ground needed to resolve issues and reach new deals that will allow our customers, employees and the company to succeed.

As previously communicated, there is a mandatory 21-day cooling off period if the conciliation process ends without a deal. The earliest a legal work disruption can occur is at day’s end September 25, 2018.

The collective agreement between Canada Post and CUPW-Urban expired January 31, 2018 but the terms and conditions of the agreement continue to apply, in accordance with the Canada Labour Code.

We will continue to keep you informed of developments through your team leaders and the online Negotiations Hub.

2018/08/13