Canada Post and employees are still not delivering a negotiated agreement as postal workers head into week four of strike action.
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) are calling out the corporation for what they feel is misinformation on the corporation's part as the company cites financial pressures for their approach to negotiations.
Across the country, 55,000 postal service workers walked off their job on Nov. 15 after the CUPW and Canada Post Corporation, a federally owned Crown corporation, failed to reach an agreement. Both sides are blaming the other for widening the divide in negotiations, instead of closing it.
Local postal workers shared their perspective on the ongoing strike. Despite their reservations at speaking up, both Tanya Paré and Candace Stafford felt compelled to come forward on behalf of workers to help correct what they worry are public misconceptions.
Both women are local union representatives, Paré is the vice-president of CUPW Local 854 and Stafford is secretary/treasurer.
While they said the strikers walking the line are generally getting support in the community, there are some people questioning the ongoing strike and the union's request for a 21 per cent wage increase. Both feel negative comments around the strike are based on a misunderstanding of Canada Post worker pay rates, strike pay and some information put out by the company.
"We're getting frustrated," said Stafford, of the ongoing strike and the lack of movement in coming to an agreement. CUPW blames Canada Post for not coming to an agreement before a strike took place and calls the company's offers "nothing less than an all-out attack on the rights and benefits postal workers have fought for generations to win."
"I think the union has been sitting down at the table with lots of great ideas," said Paré.
Canada Post responded to a request for comment from Black Press Media with a statement and said it is conducting a full review of the offers for the different bargaining units but doesn't want to provide any false hope. The company also provided information on current wages and benefits for employees.
"Our approach throughout negotiations has been fair, balanced and straightforward, bringing much-needed flexibility to our delivery model to improve service for Canadians and grow our parcel business, while protecting and valuing the people who provide that service," said the statement from Canada Post.
Current benefits for CUPW workers includes a cost of living allowance (COLA) which issues payments on a quarterly basis when inflation is greater than the negotiated wage increases. Vacation leave starts at three weeks per year and goes as high as seven weeks after more than 28 years of service. Employees also get up to 13 days per year of personal days for full time employees.
But these benefits are still not attracting workers to the job, said Paré.
"We're having a hard time keeping staff all the way across the board," said Paré, blaming a lack of competitive wages and difficult working conditions, which get harder over the holiday season, when parcel numbers are so huge.
"People are working to the bone," said Paré. "This job is getting harder and harder and harder."
Starting wages for letter carriers are around $22 per hour, according to Canada Post.
But Canada Post said the company's financial situation is unsustainable and points to their 2023 financial report which indicates labour and employee benefits costs are more than 62 per cent of the company's operating expenses.
But Stafford and Paré also said they believe Canada Post is not negotiating from a fair position, given the strike has pushed delivery business to other corporate carriers, including Purolator, of which Canada Post owns 91 per cent.
Canada Post said Purolator is a subsidiary of Canada Post and is operated and managed independently.
Paré and Stafford also said the company pointing to recent losses is not a fair statement on the financial situation. While Canada Post is mandated to provide service to the small communities across the vast geography of Canada as a public service, and does not have a requirement to make a profit, private courier companies simply choose not to service those places.
These are also the places most impacted by the strike, with Paré and Stafford concerned for rural residents like those in the Chilcotin.
In addition, while Canada Post completed construction of a $470 million parcel sorting facility last year, which at the time was promoted as a strategic investment, the company reports significant financial losses.
But Canada Post stated in their emailed response the company is at a "critical juncture" in its history and said it is under threat after losing more than $3 billion since 2018.
"Why is Canada Post complaining about losses on the one hand but delivering handsome bonuses to its senior executives on the other?" asks CUPW in a strike update. The update questions why as investments by the company in infrastructure went up, wages have come down.
"Why doesn't Canada Post invest in its workers the way it invests in infrastructure?" the union asks.
Paré and Stafford also pointed out how striking workers earn a small stipend from the union while on the picket line, making $56.20 for each four hour shift. They said they feel for everyone struggling at this time of year, especially small businesses and people who have been cut off by the strike.
Both women said they feel bleak, facing the holiday season without wages, but they are out on the picket line because they believe in standing up for fair wages for all workers.
They said union workers like CUPW help maintain higher standards for workers across the country, including those without union support. It was Canada Post workers in 1981 who secured maternity leave for their workers and thereby led to the provision of maternity leave wages for women across Canada.
"We're just a bunch of workers saying we deserve to be treated better," said Paré.
"We do it because we have to," said Stafford.
Editor's note: The original version of this story was updated to include further responses from Canada Post.
