Legislation quashes free collective bargaining: union
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.
“We never got a chance in this round of bargaining,” said Denis Lemelin, CUPW National President. “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.”
Lisa Raitt, Canada’s Labour Minister, is expected to introduce a bill entitled Restoring Mail Delivery for Canadians Act to end the current work stoppage involving the Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) – Urban Operations Unit.
“Our Government is concerned about the effect this strike is having on Canada’s economic recovery and on Canadians,” said Minister Raitt in a release. “Canadians gave us a strong mandate to complete our economic recovery, and this is why we will put legislation on notice to ensure resumption and continuation of postal services.”
The back-to-work legislation, when passed by both the House and Senate, will bring an end to the work stoppage, which started on June 3 as rotating strikes by CUPW escalated to a lockout by Canada Post yesterday.
CUPW’s collective agreement, covering approximately 50,000 postal workers, expired on January 31, 2011. Negotiations began in October 2010, and parties are still in a stalemate on key issues.
The CUPW 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.”
