Strike suspended at Canada Post, postal workers won’t give up

“Who owns Canada Post,” says Guillaume Brodeur of the postal union? “It's ours! It's to the citizens! It's to the children who are waiting for a Christmas present!” The union leader, like the hundred or so postal workers in front of him, has just learned that the Minister of Labour is putting an end to their strike. They had gathered at around 10 a.m. yesterday morning at Place des Arts in Montreal. But for them, this is just a pause in their struggle.

In a press briefing yesterday morning, Steven McKinnon said he had “asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board if it agrees, and if so, to order Canada Post and these CUPW employees to resume and continue their work, and to extend the terms of the existing collective agreements until May 22, 2025. During this time, a Commission of Inquiry into Labour Relations will be established.”

The Minister of Labour has appointed a commissioner who will, he claims, analyze the reasons behind the deadlock in negotiations. He will have to produce a report by May 15, 2025, with recommendations for the labor contract.

He will also have to examine “the entire structure of Canada Post, from both customer and industry perspectives, taking into account the challenging business environment facing Canada Post.”

The argument of the head of labour relations in Canada? This dispute must end, because neither “parties have been able to show any progress towards an agreement.”

However, he doesn't mention that earlier this week, Canada Post outright rejected an offer of compromise from the postal workers. Among other things, they reduced their demand for wage increases by 3% over a 4-year period. They also reduced their demands for guaranteed hours for new part-time weekend positions.

Not just another return to work

Hugo Charette, also a delegate for the postal union, sees a positive side to the situation. “It's not a forced arbitration that's going to seal our working conditions. It's something to be proud of. We stood together and shed light on Canada Post's mismanagement. Well done!”

For the postal workers, the victory lies in having forced the government to recognize the mismanagement of the Crown corporation, which is rife with political appointments and family favouritism. They explain that a commission will at least give them the opportunity to plead their ideas to others than to the deaf ears of CEO Doug Ettinger.

“They're killing the golden goose that Canada Post is today,” exclaims Mr. Brodeur. “This has to change. Because it's true that we're going to hit a wall if we continue with people who have no vision. And all they want to do, it seems, is privatize and dismantle a public postal service, which is there for the people.”

He urges all members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers to go back to work with their heads held high. “It's not true that we're leaving our children worse conditions. It's not true that we're going to create sub-clauses of employment for young people. We'll never accept that. Not this time, not in four years, not in eight. Never.”

Hugo Charette adds: “With all our solidarity, we have to get back on the workfloors and enforce every line of our collective agreement, be proud of it and stand together. They'll never have seen such united floors. No more intimidation for injured workers. What we've built over the last month, we're going to keep and we're going to make sure we're respected on the floor.”

No rose-colored glasses

Canada Post workers aren't putting on their rose-colored glasses just yet. They know that the government may want to move toward a model closer to Amazon or UPS. “They want to shift to weekend delivery, maybe more evenings too, more parcel delivery. Whether we like it or not, we're moving towards that. Then, what the union wanted to do was to have some guidelines,” explains Mr. Brodeur to The North Star.

“There are many who say we should privatize Canada Post,” says Mr. Charette.
“But privatizing Canada Post would give us what we had during the strike. Because of the nature of our territory, there are people who would lose service entirely.”

One worker in the group appeared to have mixed feelings. “I'm glad they're doing a commission,” she said, ”but why didn't the government just call for an inquiry while we continue negotiations, and then put the pressure on?”

“We won the inquiry. It's cool, I'm happy, really. Except that we no longer have any leverage. We no longer have any leverage to win our other demands, all the points that haven't been settled so far.”

In a private Facebook group for Montreal-area postal workers, union members are asking questions. For example, one postal worker posted at the end of the day, “It's time to challenge the system!” This statement launched a complex debate.

Many say they'd like to ignore the government order, but don't see how. One worker points to the fines of up to $1,000 per day per worker that could be levied against the union. In CUPW's case, this would represent $55 million per day of defiance. One would have to hope for an act of the court declaring these fines and the order illegal, which would have to come several years later.

CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant warned the government not to play too much with fire, in an interview with CBC. “This is a real problem for us, with the Canadian Charter of Rights being breached by the government, and they do it way too often. […] And if workers at CP and workers at WestJet and workers at the ports are all getting the same thing, sooner or later the government's going to get a reaction from that.​​​​​​​”

In any case, workers in Montreal remain hopeful. They also say they're keeping an eye on the government, and that they won't take it lying down if it tries to destroy their business even further.

“On May 22, we're going to be ready. If we have to go out, we'll go out,” says a determined Mr. Brodeur.