Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

No strike notice so far as talks continue between Canada Post and workers' union

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Nov, 2024 11:55 AM
  • No strike notice so far as talks continue between Canada Post and workers' union

Canada Post says talks are continuing with the union that represents postal workers and neither side has given notice of a work stoppage. 

In a short statement Sunday, the Crown corporation said both sides have agreed not to give the required 72-hour notice of a strike or lockout "as long as the talks are productive." It said operations are continuing as normal. 

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers could have been in a legal strike position as of Sunday, after a cooling-off period in the contract talks ended the day before, but has yet to issue a strike notice. The union said Friday that a notice could still be issued "at any time" if talks break down. 

Canada Post presented its latest contract offer last week which included annual wage increases amounting to 11.5 per cent over four years. The new proposal also protects the defined benefit pension for current employees, as well as their job security and health benefits. The corporation says the offer will "ensure current employees don't lose ground."

On Wednesday, the union said Canada Post's offer "is far from what we are demanding and deserve." The union announced earlier in the week its members had voted overwhelmingly to support a strike if a deal could not be reached at the bargaining table. It said preliminary results showed 95.8 per cent of urban workers and 95.5 per cent of rural workers voted to back the strike mandate.

Canada Post, meanwhile, said in its statement Sunday that it is "rapidly falling behind in today’s highly competitive, customer-focused parcel delivery market." Last week, the corporation said it lost $490 million in the first six months of 2024, and $3 billion since 2018. The company said it wants to negotiate "a more flexible and affordable delivery model" that would include parcel delivery seven days a week. 

Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon met last Thursday with the union and Canada Post management to encourage them to reach a negotiated settlement.

MORE National ARTICLES

Pedestrian dies in Surrey crash

Pedestrian dies in Surrey crash
One person has died following a crash between a vehicle and a pedestrian in Surrey. Police say they were called Sunday after and despite lifesaving efforts, one person died.

Pedestrian dies in Surrey crash

North Vancouver declares state of local emergency, 3 homes evacuated after heavy rain

North Vancouver declares state of local emergency, 3 homes evacuated after heavy rain
The District of North Vancouver has declared a state of local emergency and ordered three homes evacuated in the Deep Cove neighbourhood over concerns debris left behind from last weekend's atmospheric river could pose a safety risk. A statement late Saturday from the district says that during the heavy rain, debris filled the channels of Ostler and Panorama Creeks "limiting their capacity to withstand future heavy rainfall events."

North Vancouver declares state of local emergency, 3 homes evacuated after heavy rain

Monthly food bank use soars to record 2 million, driven by cost of groceries, housing

Monthly food bank use soars to record 2 million, driven by cost of groceries, housing
Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley said food banks are being pushed to “the brink” and low-income Canadians need help immediately. The report calls on governments to introduce measures that include rent assistance and a monthly payment to low-income groups to help off-set rent and food costs.

Monthly food bank use soars to record 2 million, driven by cost of groceries, housing

After doubling down on leadership, Trudeau hits deadline to respond to caucus letter

After doubling down on leadership, Trudeau hits deadline to respond to caucus letter
Justin Trudeau is supposed to respond today to a group of Liberal MPs demanding his resignation as party leader, but the prime minister has already made his plans clear. At a Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday, 24 MPs delivered a letter to Trudeau asking him to resign and giving him until Monday to respond.

After doubling down on leadership, Trudeau hits deadline to respond to caucus letter

Absentee ballot count could settle B.C.'s election, nine days after vote

Absentee ballot count could settle B.C.'s election, nine days after vote
Neither Premier David Eby's New Democrats nor John Rustad's B.C. Conservatives emerged from the weekend with the magic number of 47 seats required to form a majority in the province's 93-seat legislature. But the counting increased the prospects for an NDP government, when the Conservative lead in Surrey-Guildford was cut to just 12 votes.

Absentee ballot count could settle B.C.'s election, nine days after vote

Poilievre promises to abolish federal sales tax on new homes under $1 million

Poilievre promises to abolish federal sales tax on new homes under $1 million
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says if his party forms government, it will scrap the federal sales tax on new homes sold for less than $1 million and push provinces to do the same. Poilievre made the case for the cut in a six-minute video published online, arguing governments are partly to blame for high home prices because they're charging too much in sales taxes.

Poilievre promises to abolish federal sales tax on new homes under $1 million