Postal Worker Union Proposes 30-Day Cooling Off Period

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Last updated: Friday July 8th, 8:20pm

The union that represents postal workers has proposed a 30-day cooling off period to Canada Post management with the hope this will give negotiations a chance to succeed.

“Our members, their families and all Canadians do not deserve to have this threat of a lockout ‘looming’ over our heads from a profitable public service. Postal workers want to work and people need to know that it’s safe to use the mail system,” said Mike Palecek, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

The union says it is prepared to engage in “intensive negotiations” with Canada Post during the cooling-off period, which would include an extension of the terms and conditions of 50,000 workers’ current contracts.

Canada Post responded that they were fully prepared to negotiate intensively for the next 30 days under an extended “cooling off period” to reach negotiated settlements. However, if the parties are unable to successfully conclude negotiations within that period, both parties must agree to binding arbitration.

The union fired back saying that they were relieved that the value of their 30-day truce proposal to keep talks going and the mail moving was acknowledged by Canada Post management. But giving up their right to freely negotiate is a “poison pill: that shouldn’t be part of the deal.

“We have been crystal clear from the beginning we want a negotiated settlement. We want to have meaningful discussions with management, but getting a guaranteed bail-out from an arbitrator at the end of it isn’t the incentive they need to stop playing these games with the public,” said Mike Palecek, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

Workers are set to be locked out at 12:01am Monday morning if a new contract is not reached.