Canada Post workers rally in Winnipeg with union in legal position to strike

Winnipeg postal workers are urging Canada Post to come back to the bargaining table with a better deal as the national union that represents them is on the cusp of launching a strike.

Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers held a rally in front of the Manitoba Legislature on Sunday.

The union was in a legal strike position as of Sunday, but both CUPW and the employer have agreed either side would have to issue 72-hour notice before a strike or a lockout.

The union said Friday that while it hasn't issued a notice yet, it's ready to do so if talks break down.

Winnipeg Local 856 president Sean Tugby said Canada Post's latest wage increase offer is less than the rate of inflation, and that pensions and benefits would both see cuts.

"It's taken over 20 years for the wage to improve by $5 an hour," Tugby told workers at the rally. "Currently, there's people pushing shopping carts at Costco making more money than letter carriers who are walking ridiculous amounts of steps every day."

CUPW said in a release earlier this week that Canada Post's offer of annual wage increases amounting to 11.5 per cent over four years is far from what they're demanding.

The union also taken issue over the employer's proposal to submit several items to binding arbitration, saying that it hurts their chances of getting a good deal.

Preliminary results of a union vote issued last week showed more than 95 per cent of CUPW urban and rural workers supported a strike mandate.

'We're here for a contract, not to burden our customers'

Tugby told CBC News the union is fighting for better conditions. He said the routes have become increasingly longer, and that "it's almost untenable."

"Our workers are in pain.… It's creating difficulties with child care," he said. "We're asking to work in the daylight. We're asking to be able to work safely. And we're asking for a contract for the labour we're giving."

Tugby said they don't want the labour dispute carrying on to the peak holiday season, and that the union is doing work to alleviate any pressure that may result from a stoppage.

"We've been waiting at the table for over a year now," he said. "We're here for a contract, not to burden our customers."

Jeff Didham, an indoor postal worker who's been with Canada Post for more than a decade, said the employer had a long time to make a deal happen.

"We're the middle class. We deserve to have a future," he said. "And the new people coming on are just going to get screwed over."

Canada Post says it's 'falling behind'

In a statement Sunday, Canada Post said both parties remain on the table and have agreed not to provide a 72-hour notice as long as discussions are productive.

The Crown corporation said it's "rapidly falling behind" amid fierce competition in the parcel-delivery market, and that its aim is to negotiate a new delivery model that would allow for service improvements like affordable seven-day-a-week delivery.

The company has previously said it's lost more than $3 billion since 2018.

The statement said the company's latest offer will ensure workers "won't lose ground" on pensions, job security provisions and benefits, and that the proposed wage increases are competitive. 

It said operations are continuing as normal, and that it will keep customers updated.