"Remote" parties in Canada Post talks despite mediation: the postal union



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OTTAWA – Trade union negotiators say there has been little progress over the two and a half weeks of appointing a special mediator in Canada Post's labor dispute.

The lack of breakthrough means that rotating strikes will resume Tuesday in different parts of the country, even if both sides have agreed to continue negotiations, said Monday the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. The mandate of special mediator Morton Mitchnick expired on Sunday.

CUPW President Mike Palecek said the union was frustrated by what is called the perceived reluctance of the state corporation to respond to key concerns expressed at the bargaining table.

"We are still far apart," Palecek told Canadian Press after Sunday's talks marked the end of Mitchnick's tenure.

"Canada Post is still not prepared to address its health and safety issues, nor to provide equal treatment to letter carriers in the regions and suburbs … We have not yet seen the direction to solve our fundamental problems "

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned that his government could act soon if the negotiations, which have been going on for nearly a year, progress little.

Trudeau did not specify what the Liberals would do to resolve the dispute, but he hinted that the time was running out to end the spin-offs that caused delays in the postal service while the busy season of holiday shopping accentuates. The strikes started on October 22nd.

A spokeswoman for Labor Minister Patty Hajdu on Monday reiterated the government's warning that it could intervene, but again provided no details.

"If the parties are not able to reach a negotiated agreement very quickly, we will use all options to find a solution that will reduce the impact on Canadians, businesses, Canada Post and their workers," Véronique Simard writes. an email.

Canada Post has maintained that it has made significant offers to its 50,000 unionized employees, including increased wages, improved benefits, and job security. Both parties have also repeatedly emphasized their commitment to the collective bargaining process.

The last time the federal government ended a labor dispute at Canada Post, it was in 2011, when the former Conservative government pbaded a back-to-work legislation that was later declared unconstitutional. The move comes after postal employees who had left work were locked out for two weeks by Canada Post management.

Recent rotating strikes have closed postal operations in more than 150 communities, including Canada Post mail and parcel sorting centers in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. This created a backlog in the national distribution network and caused delivery delays, a Canada Post spokesman said last week.

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