Category: Negotiations 2023

CUPW has issued 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post.  Canada Post has issued 72 hours lock out notice in response.   The earliest CUPW Vancouver Local members can be on strike is 12.01am eastern time  and/or locked out at 8:00 a.m. time this Friday November 15^th 2024.

CUPW members need to be ready to be on the picket line this Friday and you also need to be ready to report to work.   No one knows what will happen so be prepared for either option.  Or Friday November 15 2024 may be both a work day and a picket line day.  But, no matter if this Friday is a strike or a lockout or a workday we all have to show our solidarity.   We need to tell Canada Post we don’t want their rollbacks and we want a Collective Agreement that addresses real problems! If you happen to be at work and the employer lock us out in that case we urge you all to stick around and help the picket lines.

The next period is going to be stressful for all of us.   Solidarity will help relieve the stress. We are in this fight together and we all will come out strong and United. If you see your co workers struggling please reach out to your local Social Steward.

A number of temporary workers have asked me if they should picket.   The answer is yes!!!!   The issues at the bargaining table will have a huge impact on all current and future Canada Post workers including temporary workers.

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Today, CUPW officially served notice to bargain to the Canada Post Corporation for both the Urban Operations and RSMC units.

Next Steps: Meetings Planned

We have scheduled our first meetings with the employer for November 15 and 16, with more dates to follow in the coming weeks.

At our first meeting, the Union will officially present our program of demands for both the Urban and RSMC units. With the referendum votes counted, a merger of the two bargaining units will now be one of our demands

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Demands have been ratified and sent to our bargaining committee – what’s next?

Now that our demands have been ratified, they will go with our Bargaining Committee in Ottawa to be presented to the employer as negotiations begin. This process may take months as each demand is presented individually and discussed. Canada Post will respond to the demands and will likely present their own counter-offer for changes and concessions. Once a full offer is presented to the bargaining committee, they determine if it contains enough of what we are asking for to present to the National Executive Board and the membership in the form of a ratification vote.

What if CUPW and Canada Post can’t come to a tentative agreement?

Similar to 2018, if the offers presented do not adequately meet our demands, the National Executive Board could start the process to move the Union into a strike position. Only after meeting all the requirements under the Canada Labour Code can the Union call for a strike vote. If the membership votes in favour of strike action, the Union would then be able to issue 72-hour strike notice at any time if negotiations are stalled.

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The National Executive Board has selected Lana Smidt as Lead Negotiator of the Urban Negotiating Committee.

It’s time to call for applications from members who are interested in serving on the negotiating committees for our two biggest bargaining units – Urban Postal Operations (UPO) and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC).

Our current UPO collective agreement expires on January 31, 2024. Preparations for negotiations are underway. Members have proposed demands at membership meetings, and regional councils are currently discussing and forwarding the demands they recommend. The National Executive Board (NEB) expects to put together our program of demands in August for the membership to ratify.

Meanwhile, we will assemble the Committee. As set out in Article 6.11 of the CUPW constitution, the UPO committee will include at least one woman, one francophone and one anglophone.

It’s one of the most important jobs at the core of our Union’s work; please consider it carefully.

Responsibilities of a Negotiating Committee member

• Negotiators are responsible for presenting members’ demand to Canada Post, under the direction of the Chief Negotiator and the National Executive Board, in an attempt to negotiate a collective agreement.
• Negotiators are responsible for researching specific demands and defending the rationale behind demands to representatives of Canada Post.
•  Upon completion of negotiations, negotiators prepare a report for the next negotiating committee.

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