Letter to the Prime Minister re: Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers

After almost a year of negotiations, members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers started rotating strikes on Monday, October 22. Read the letter Jamey Mills, Regional Executive Vice President for BC, wrote to the Prime Minister calling on him to show respect for postal workers and to direct Canada Post to negotiate in good faith.

UPDATE: November 21 2018, we have received a letter back from the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, pasted below.

Dear Mr. Mills:

I received your letter regarding Canada Post Corporation and the ongoing labour relations. The mandate of Canada Post is to provide Canadians everywhere with high-quality, accessible and affordable service.

As a Crown corporation, Canada Post operates at arm’s length from the federal government. The role of the Minister responsible for Canada Post is to determine the Corporation’s broad policy direction while respecting its operational autonomy in other matters, such as those pertaining to the management of its workplaces and employees and its labour relations with its unions. Given the concerns you raised about contract negotiations, I have forwarded a copy of your correspondence to the management team at Canada Post Corporation for information.

As negotiations of a new Canada Post–Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Collective Agreement are ongoing, it would not be appropriate for me to discuss this present situation at length. To assist in bringing about a timely resolution in this matter, my colleague, Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, appointed a special mediator who worked with the parties to try to help them reach a negotiated settlement. Since that time, I have remained optimistic that both parties will work hard to successfully reach an agreement. We are mindful of both the interest of the Canada Post employees represented by the CUPW, and the need for Canadians to be served by a modern postal service that can meet the challenges of a twenty-first-century economy and operate in a financially sustainable manner.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

PSAC members can support CUPW in their fight for health and safety protections, gender equality, and good, full-time jobs by visiting the picket lines when possible (locations will be announced daily) and by sending and sharing messages at the CUPW Facebook page.

October 24, 2018 - via email

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,

Re: Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers

I write today on behalf of the Public Service Alliance of Canada BC Region and our 18,000 members in British Columbia.

As you know, members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have been taking rotating strike action across the country since Monday, October 22. After almost a year of negotiations, Canada Post has refused to address major issues at the bargaining table – health and safety, gender equality and preserving full-time, middle class jobs – and instead has pushed CUPW into a strike.

I call upon you to use your authority as Prime Minister to direct Canada Post to negotiate in good faith with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and to deliver a negotiated settlement that addresses the union’s concerns around health and safety, precarious work, and gender equality.

In a 2015 open letter to Canada’s public servants, you wrote of respect for public service workers, of the value of a strong public service, and of the important role unions play in middle class prosperity.

Now is the time to show Canadians that you meant those things.

Sincerely,

Jamey Mills
Regional Executive Vice President
Public Service Alliance of Canada, BC Region
CC: Mike Palacek, National President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers Tim Armstrong, National Director, CUPW Pacific Region