Postal workers hold fast on the picket lines despite attacks

The special mediator has said he is not seeing enough movement to call the parties back to the table.

Canada Post Dirty Tricks

 

Canada Post has engaged in a series of dirty tricks to harass and intimidate striking workers. During the last week of November, Canada Post began sending lay-off notices to striking workers, a clear violation of labour law. On November 29th, 2024, CUPW filed an Unfair Labour Practice complaint with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB).

 

“We feel this unprecedented move on the part of CPC is a clear intimidation tactic in violation of the Canada Labour Code. It is an attack on your fundamental right to strike that is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

 

Canada Post also cut-off medical benefits seriously impacting workers like Marc Caron who has cancer and needs thousands of dollars a day for treatment. His story was picked up by the mainstream media and Matthew Green, NDP MP, challenged Trudeau on this issue in parliament.  

 

“This government has once again allowed its Crown corporation to walk all over workers. Not only did Canada Post illegally layoff striking workers, but they also cut off medical benefits for people like Marc Caron who has cancer and now has to pay thousands of dollars for medication. This is despicable, it’s an intimidation and it’s a violation of workers’ fundamental right to strike.’

CPC long term plan—privatization

 

The mandate of Canada Post to be self-sustaining and offer high quality services to people across the country has been continually undermined by Canada Post mismanagement. New revenue streams such a postal banking have been rejected.

 

In this round of bargaining as CPC claims losses, the union points to a fleet of EV trucks rotting in CPC lots. Spending on building new facilities has come at the expense of and on the backs of deteriorating conditions for workers who record some of the highest injury rates due to long letter carrier routes and a brutal pace in sorting plants.

 

The Canada Post CEO makes half a million dollar a year and CPC management is top heavy with well paid managers and supervisors 

 

The claim the postal service in outdated and underused is contradicted by the fact that the current strike has paralyzed the economy during the holiday spending season. The reality also is that the postal service remains a vital network to rural communities where other delivery services refuse to go.

 

The real aim by CPC management is to make the postal service ripe for privatization. 

 

Learie Charles, president of the Scarborough CUPW local speaking at a solidarity rally pointed out that this has been going on since a previous Canada Post CEO, Moya Greene, said the postal workers are too powerful and the government should intervene to allow private industry to take over the Post Office. She cuts thousands of jobs and paved the to cutting door-to-door delivery. An excellent  'Save Canada Post’ campaign 2015 by postal workers and the public pushed back. 

 

Charles also pointed out that the post office distribution and sorting plants in many locations have been surrounded by Amazon distribution warehouses. ‘It’s a well-organized plan by private industry to strangle the post office.’

 

Militancy and solidarity 

 

Despite intimidation by the employer, postal workers have been solid on the picket lines across the country. Picket lines were boosting to 24 hours at some facilities to keep management out and stop any attempts to get mail out.

 

Strikers in BC occupied a Liberal MP’s office. Strikers in Montreal picketed Trudeau’s constituency office in Montreal and marched on a major bridge in downtown Montreal.

 

At Purolator, a company owned by Canada Post, workers, members of the Teamsters, have refused to handle Canada Post parcels.

 

Solidarity from the rest of the labour movement has been very strong and there is continual honking by the passing public on every line.

 

The victory for the postal workers is a victory for all working people.