With the passage of Bill C-6, the Harper government has declared war on postal workers and all working people. The anti-worker bias of this government was demonstrated clearly yesterday when the Conservative government of Stephen Harper vetoed every attempt by the opposition parties to amend the legislation. The government even said no to proposals that would give the arbitrator the ability to mediate between the parties. As expected, the government imposed a wage increase that is less than the last offer presented by Canada Post management.

NEB Unanimously Decides To Return To Work

The National Executive Board has unanimously decided that CUPW will return to work in accordance with the terms of the legislation. The legislation provides for enormous financial penalties for individuals and union representatives in the case of defiance. We believe that this government would use any excuse to destroy the union should we defy the legislation, and we will not give them any opportunity to do so. CUPW will be contacting Canada Post to discuss a return-to-work procedure, and we will notify you concerning the procedure for returning to work.

Postal Workers Can Be Very Proud

All CUPW members can go back to work with our heads held high. Throughout this struggle, we showed unprecedented strength, solidarity, determination and courage.

Just as we were united on the picket lines, we need to be united and strong when we are back in the workplace. We need to send a strong message to Canada Post that the lockout was wrong, and that their reliance on legislation is shameful. We need to support our shop stewards and local union representatives who will be on the front line in our struggles with management.

Our Struggle Continues

We are returning to work, but we are not defeated. CUPW has been legislated back to work in the past and that has not stopped us from continuing our struggle for justice and dignity. The government cannot legislate away our solidarity and determination. We will continue to work with all of the groups and organizations that have supported us, including labour unions, women’s groups, students, pensioners and our community and political allies to fight for decent jobs and pensions for all working people.

Today, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper introduced legislation to deny 48,000 postal workers the basic democratic right to free collective bargaining. The law, which was introduced at the request of Canada Post management, contains arbitrary financial penalties to be applied against postal workers. It also provides for a process of final offer arbitration where the mandate of the arbitrator ensures that the process is bias towards the employer. Features of the legislation include:

Extension of the collective agreement: the collective agreement is restored until a new agreement has been determined by the arbitrator. The new agreement will expire on January 31, 2015.

Lower Wages Imposed by the law: The bill legislates wage increases that fall significantly below Canada Post’s last offer of 1.9% in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and 2.0 % in 2014. The law includes increases of 1.75 % in 2011, 1.5% in 2012, 2% in 2013 and 2% in 2014. This would take $875.50 out of the pockets of an average full-time postal worker during the four years of the agreement. It represents a theft of $35 million from postal workers and their families.

Final Offer Selection: The new collective agreement will be decided by a government-appointed arbitrator. The parties will each submit a draft collective agreement and the arbitrator must choose one in its entirety.

Guiding Principles for the arbitrator: The arbitrator must consider the following:

• conditions of employment consistent with those in comparable postal industries
• the necessary flexibility to ensure the short term long-term economic viability and competitiveness of CPC
• maintain the health and safety of workers
• ensure the sustainability of pension plan
• take into account the solvency ratio of the pension
• operate efficiently, improve productivity and meet acceptable levels of service without undue rate increases.

Penalties: The law contains the usual penalties for non compliance: $50,000 for union officers, $1,000 for members and $100,000 for the union for each day.

CUPW Fighting Back: Across the country postal workers have been joined by our allies in protests against this unjust legislation. In the House of Commons the NDP has been doing everything possible to fight the law. The Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress, Hassan Yussuf, has been assisting us in our attempts to force Canada Post to get back to the negotiations table. We continue to be determined to negotiate a collective agreement that meets the needs of postal workers.

Show your strength, show your resolve, and participate in the activities organized by your local. Let’s tell Canada Post and the Harper government that postal workers will not give up the fight.

Contrary to media reports, there have been no negotiations taking place in Ottawa. Today, CPC contacted the finance sub-table asking us to provide them with costing information. They also suggested they may have questions concerning our most recent proposals, which they have already told us they rejected. Just as they have done for almost eight months, CPC is waiting for the back-to-work legislation that they so desperately wanted. Instead of negotiating, they will be provided with a government-appointed arbitrator, who will have a mandate to attack the rights and benefits that postal workers have struggled for decades to achieve.

Timeline of Treachery

May 24: CPC begins its disinformation campaign. It issues a news release claiming CUPW demands would cost $1.4 Billion. It never attempts to explain the number.

June 1: CPC continues its disinformation campaign and claims mail volumes have declined 17% since 2006.

June 2-11:59 p.m.: CUPW begins rotating strikes.

June 3: CPC cuts off drug coverage and other benefits to all employees, including those on sick leave and disability insurance.

June 7: CPC claims mail volumes have declined by 50% since June 3^rd. This does not correspond with information from postal facilities.

June 8: CPC announces it will stop letter carrier delivery on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

June 9: Labour Minister Lisa Raitt requests that the union suspends its rotating strikes and that CPC resumes postal service. CPC Chief Operating Officer claims CUPW has more than 50 demands on the table. CPC reneges on several of their offers.

June 10: CUPW agrees to suspend strike activity and continues to negotiate.  At 6 p.m., Canada Post management rejects the union’s offer.

June 13: CUPW accuses Canada Post of aggressively trying to force postal workers out on a full-scale national strike in order to secure back-to-work legislation from the majority Conservative government.

June 14 (morning): CPC claims to have lost $70 million in revenue since June 3^rd. In answering the question of a reporter, Labour Minister Raitt says there is no need for back-to-work legislation at Canada Post since it is only a rotating strike and the mail was still moving.

June 14 (evening): CPC claims to have lost almost $100 million in revenue since June 3^rd. It announces an immediate national lockout.

June 15 (morning): Labour Minister Raitt says she has received very few complaints about the rotating postal strikes.

June 15 (afternoon): Labour Minister Raitt announces that in response to CPC’s national lockout she will introduce back-to-work legislation.

The manner by which CPC provoked the government to introduce back-to-work legislation, explains their refusal to truly negotiate during the past eight months. They began negotiations determined to attack the rights and benefits of the workers who have made Canada Post a profitable company for 16 years. Now they have been rewarded for their intransigence by the Harper government.