CUPW shifts to rotating strikes - mail to start moving again
- Ron Giofu
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Mail is moving again as strike action by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have shifted from a full strike to rotating strikes.
CUPW national president Jan Simpson announced last Thursday (Oct. 9) that the union moved from nationwide strike action to rotating strikes. That took effect last Saturday, with Simpson adding local unions that will rotate on strike will be informed closer to the time of when they are planned to go out.
“This will start mail and parcels moving, while continuing our struggle for good collective agreements and a strong public postal service. We did not take the decision to move to a nation-wide strike lightly. Postal workers would much rather have new collective agreements and be delivering mail instead of taking strike action,” Simpson said. “Yet, we could not stand by as the government announced its plans to allow Canada Post to gut our postal service and slash thousands of our jobs. Contract after contract, this employer has sought to chip away at postal services, worker rights and good jobs, and its latest offers are an outright attack on public service. The Government’s announcement Sept. 25 also emboldened Canada Post to continue making a mockery of the bargaining process.”
Simpson said they thank its members “for standing strong, the public for their support, as well as the New Democratic Party and Bloc Québécois for holding this government accountable.” There is also a follow-up meeting with federal Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement Joel Lightbound this week.
“We will continue our fight for strong public services, good jobs, and a sustainable public post office for all Canadians,” she added in a statement posted to CUPW’s website.
In a statement, Canada Post said it will welcome back employees represented by CUPW and that “plans are now under way to ensure a safe and orderly restart of our national operations, which were shut down without warning on Sept. 25 following the union’s sudden national strike.”
The corporation noted that postal services have resumed this week, “uncertainty and instability in the postal service will continue with the union’s decision to conduct rotating strikes.”
“Shutting down and restarting parts of our integrated national network with rotating strikes has always challenged our ability to provide reliable service to customers. As a result, all service guarantees will be suspended,” Canada Post’s statement read. “In the last year, Canadians and Canadian businesses have been subject to more than 170 days of strike activity by CUPW including two national strikes. The only pause in strike activity occurred during the Industrial Inquiry Commission process, which was ordered by the Government.”
Canada Post added: “This prolonged period of instability, uncertainty and disruption has significantly impacted Canadians and Canadian businesses, often without warning. As a result, they have moved to other carriers or are avoiding Canada Post altogether. The move to a different form of strike activity will not change that.”
According to Canada Post, “the impact on the company’s already dire financial position is significant and mounting. With continued uncertainty and the expiry of collective agreements, Canada Post will be required to adjust operations to its current business realities moving forward.”
The company added it is waiting to hear back from the union on its Oct. 3 offers.
“These offers put forward proposals that are affordable and treat employees fairly given the challenges we face,” the company stated. “The need to align the business to the current needs of the country, to reduce the dependency on taxpayer dollars, grows more urgent each day this strike continues.”
CUPW shifts to rotating strikes - mail to start moving again
By Ron Giofu