Category: Bulletins

Meeting With Chopra

Today, we met with CPC president Deepak Chopra and other members of the CPC Negotiating Committee. We discussed all of the major issues that remain in dispute and the problems associated with CPC’s bargaining strategy during the last eight months of negotiations.

We explained to Mr. Chopra the movements that the Union has made on both our demands and management’s issues.

We also reviewed the mandate of the post office under the Canada Post Corporation Act and stressed the need to improve both labour relations and service to the public.

Mr. Chopra discussed the financial losses incurred by CPC as a result of the national lockout and our rotating strikes and stated management would be re-evaluating its position.

Time For Decision

Mr. Chopra has a major decision to make during the next few days. It is clear that the parties are still far apart because of CPC’s demands for concessions and their refusal to address the proposals of the union on issues such as health and safety, staffing and service expansion. If Canada Post management has the will, there is still a way to negotiate an agreement. The parties are both completely aware of the issues.

There is still time to negotiate if CPC wants to.

Postal Workers Can Be Proud

On behalf of the CUPW National Executive Board and National Negotiating Committee, I wish to congratulate every member of the Union for your courage and discipline during our rotating strikes and CPC’s national lockout. This has been a long and difficult eight months of negotiations.

Throughout this process, we have demonstrated, time and time again, that our greatest strength is the commitment and resolve of the membership, 48,000 strong, proud and determined.

For Immediate Release

Postal workers across the country could be forced back to work under a bill that their union is calling unnecessary, unjust, and counterproductive. Minister of Labour Lisa Raitt today served notice of the government’s intent to introduce back-to-work legislation.

Denis Lemelin, CUPW National President, said ‘We never got a chance in this round of bargaining. Canada Post spent months just saying “no” and misleading the public about our proposals. Now, as we call for a meeting with Canada Post’s President, the Harper government is going to rescue him from any responsibility to negotiate realistically with the workers.’

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has been trying to bring proposals to the bargaining table that address health and safety issues around Canada Post’s new sorting machines and delivery methods. It has also offered proposals for innovation and expansion of the public postal service.

According to the union, Canada Post’s focus on concessions has made it impossible to negotiate. CUPW members are fighting to keep their collective agreement from being eroded and are also resisting wage rollbacks for new hires.

‘If this bill passed, we would have the very outcome that nobody wants,’ continued Lemelin. ‘An imposed settlement brings down terms that neither party has agreed to.’

‘We believe in free speech, free association, and free collective bargaining. This legislation hurts the values that our country stands for and is an attack on workers’ rights and standard of living.”

‘We will nevertheless continue to struggle for the rights of our members, the rights of all workers, and a just society built on decent jobs.’

For more information, please contact Aalya Ahmad,             613-327-1177       or Kevin Matthews,             613 -222-3952      .

For Immediate Release

OTTAWA – The national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers responded to a nation-wide lockout today by calling on the recently hired CEO of Canada Post, Deepak Chopra, to change his negotiators’ tune.

“We want to arrange an immediate meeting with Deepak Chopra,” said Denis Lemelin, National President of CUPW at a press conference today.

“At this meeting, we will request three things:

1. We want Mr. Chopra to make a public commitment that CPC will permit our members to deliver social assistance cheques. This was an initiative of the union.

2. We want Mr. Chopra to agree to reinstate our contract and we will return to work and keep negotiating. We have already made this offer.

3. We want Mr. Chopra to provide CPC’s negotiators with a new mandate. Until now their only mandate has been to say ‘No’ to our proposals such as health and safety solutions, and make demands for major concessions on issues such as sick leave and lower wages for new workers.”

CUPW points out that Canada Post’s “No” is, by their own admission, costing them dearly. “They are claiming that our rotating strikes have cost them $100 million in 12 days,” said Lemelin.  “It would cost them much less to deal with us fairly and negotiate a contract.”

For more information, please contact Aalya Ahmad,             613-327-1177       or Kevin Matthews,             613 -222-3952      .