Updated: 20111116.1557
In the news today (June 23, 2011), I read about Canada Post Corporation (CPC) and the government offers to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
From what I've read, CPC's original offer before they locked out postal workers is better than what the government offers.
So I decided to double-check what I'd read. As of June 17, CPC's recent offer consists of:
CUPW states in its bulletin for June 20, 2011:
"Lower Wages Imposed by the law: The bill legislates wage increases that fall significantly below Canada Post’s last offer of 1.9% in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and 2.0 % in 2014. The law includes increases of 1.75 % in 2011, 1.5% in 2012, 2% in 2013 and 2% in 2014. This would take $875.50 out of the pockets of an average full-time postal worker during the four years of the agreement. It represents a theft of $35 million from postal workers and their families."
On June 2, 2011 CPC compromised with a final offer:
In response to CPC's final offer, CUPW stated in their counter-demand on June 7, 2011:
"We have maintained our demand for a wage increase of 3.3% in the first year and 2.75% in each of the following three years."
After three weeks of rotating strikes which began on June 2, the postal workers were locked out on June 14, a week before they stuck to their demand for the wage increase.
Commentary:
So let me get recap this: postal workers consistently stick to their demand for a reasonable wage. After engaging in rotating strikes for three weeks, they reject the CPC compromise on June 20.
At this point, the Harper government tables a back-to-work bill which not only reduces the hourly wages of employees but makes the CPC offer of May 24 and its compromise of June 2 look better than the government offer.
As it stands, the government bill renders the CPC / CUPW collective bargaining process moot.
Meanwhile the Canadian economy is losing money because mail is delayed.
As well, with rent checks being delayed, there's potential for renters being evicted by unsympathetic landlords who enforce a strict tenancy policy.
Under arbitration, both CUPW and CPC are going to give their final offers.
Once the final offers are tabled, the government arbitrator picks the lowest offer.
This may not address the issues CUPW has brought up:
Meanwhile, the CPC gave out myths in an attempt to get Canadians to side with them — mainly the neo-conservatives who are 100% behind Harper and support corporations.
In response CUPW debunked these myths at their website.
After researching the Canadian postal strike, I'd like to state that most people don't like either side's position. The CPC compromised a lot from its original position of May 19, 2011.
Yet CUPW has consistently stuck to their offer without compromise. This has resulted in unsympathetic Canadians unfairly accusing the postal workers of being behind the times.
Also, increased automation inside mail sorting plants has led to the assumption that inside postal workers work less than delivery personnel. Actually, automation makes mail delivery more efficient as evidenced by the example of the Quebec City mail processing plant before its shutdown in 2007.
After Quebec City's plant was shut down, mail now gets trucked to Montreal for processing and sent back, resulting in reduced efficiency.
To ensure the same quality of service, Montreal workers have to work harder, which will cause work-related injuries and worker complaints to rise.
On one side you have a Crown corporation being run like a business.
This began with profit demands by Ottawa, first under the Liberal government since 1997, which led to closure of the Quebec City plant in 2007 and more pressure on CPC to privatize.
CPC also practices spin doctoring to malign postal workers, thus poisoning arbitration sessions with postal workers.
On the other side you have a postal workers' union wanting the maximum benefit for their members.
This includes reopening the postal bank, which was closed in 1969.
In 2005, the Liberal government tabled a part on the postal bank system. Recently past CPC president Moya Greene said "Twenty years from now a successful Canada Post will be focusing on new things. We’ll be using the retail network not just to sell you a stamp, but we’ll be using it to distribute other products. Telephones for example. Maybe other financial services.".
Under her leadership, profits tripled to $281 million despite revenues going down almost 6% despite increased work complaints and work-related injury related to reduced labor force, who had to do more work.
Later on, in July 2010, Greene left CPC with a 94.5% strike vote and became the head of the British Royal Mail, to spread privatization to Great Britain.
Greene was the public servant who helped British retirees immigrate to Canada before moving to Transport Canada, overseeing the privatization of CNR, commercialization of the port system and the deregulation of the Canadian airline industry, saving millions of tax dollars.
She then went onto overhaul unemployment insurance in Canada.
As a reward, the Liberals appointed her president of CPC in 2005.
What does this have to do with the postal strike? Well, her work at privatization began circa 1991-1996 while in Transport Canada. In 1997, the Liberal government was rumored to privately consider privatization of Canada Post but quickly denied it publicly.
In fact, publicly all political parties in Canada deny their wish to privatize CPC. Yet there is pressure from Ottawa to maintain high profits at Crown corporation.
Recently, the right-wing think tanks the Fraser Institute and CD Howe Institute called for privatization of Crown corporation to improve the profit margin whilst retooling the labour pool i.e. offering early retirement for specialized personnel who will then be replaced with inadequately trained clerical staff and temporary workers.
One of the reasons the postal strike occurred is the public demand for tax dollars to be spent efficiently, despite the fact that CPC made Ottawa a lot of money during the four years Greene was president.
This public demand for fiscal responsibility led to pressure by Ottawa for CPC to remain profitable through automation, retooling of specialized staff, and hiring of temporary workers.
References:
Timeline of Canada postal strike from CUPW's point of view: http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/10625/la_id/1.htm
Timeline of postal strike from CPC's point of view: http://media.infopost.ca/en/archives/
CPC myths debunked:
CPC's recent offer: http://media.infopost.ca/en/2011/06/canada-post-prepared-to-discuss-its-fair-offer-with-cupw/
CUPW Bulletin for June 20, 2011 (CPC's final offer and the government's offer): http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/13322/la_id/1.htm
CUPW Bulletin for June 7, 2011 (counter-demand): http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/13146/la_id/1.htm
CUPW Bulletin for June 2, 2011 (strike action begins): http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/13056/la_id/1.htm
CPC's final offer: http://media.infopost.ca/en/2011/06/canada-post-wants-to-continue-negotiating/
CBC - MPs debating Canada Post bill: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/06/23/pol-canada-post.html
CUPW Bulletin for June 4 (CUPW issues with CPC offer): http://www.cupw.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/13092/la_id/1.htm
CUPW Bulletin for September 26, 2005 (Quebec city mail processing plant efficient before closure): http://www.cupw.ca/5/6/2/1/index1.shtml
Privatization by political parties:
Spin doctoring by CPC:
http://www.cupw.ca/1/1/2/5/6/index1.shtml
Postal bank:
- http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/researchpublications/prb0514-e.htm
Canada Post and privatization:
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