Canada Post and its largest union CUPW have finally reached a tentative agreement followingnegotiations that had lasted for more than a year and after a massive nationwide strike.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers Urban Operations Unit represents approximately 50,000 urbanpostal workers, whose collective agreement expired on January 31, 2011. The negotiated agreement issubject to ratification by union members. Canada Post and the CUPW Rural and Suburban OperationsUnit also reached a tentative agreement regarding approximately 6,000 postal workers whosecollective agreement expired on December 31, 2011.
Denis Lemelin, CUPW’s National President and Chief Negotiator, confirmed the new agreement: “After many weeks of discussion and some very tough decisions, the Union and Canada Post havereached a tentative agreement for the Urban Operations collective agreement.”
“As we have stated in the past, a negotiated settlement is better than a collective agreementimposed by a Tory-appointed arbitrator,” he added, urging workers to watch for bulletins and checkwith the local authorities when the ratification vote will be held.
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt told local media: “I have always said that the best solution to anylabour dispute is one that the parties reach themselves. I am very pleased that Canada Post and theCUPW returned to the bargaining table and worked together to reach an agreement that is supportedby both parties.”
Last year, the Canadian government had to intervene into the dispute between the country’spostal operator and the union after Canada Post locked out its employees responding to the rotatingstrikes. Therefore, the parliament had passed the Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act to endthe Canada Post work stoppage involving the Urban Operations Unit. The back-to-work legislationalso provided the parties with a binding arbitration resolution process and forced workers toaccept wages that amounted to less than Canada Post’s last offer.
“Our government acted to restore mail services and end the harm that the work stoppage wascausing to small businesses, consumers, and the Canadian economy, as no resolution was forthcomingat that time,” Raitt reportedly said. “I have always said that nothing in the legislation preventedthe parties from negotiating, and I commend them on independently coming together to find solutionsand reach a tentative agreement.”
