A long-running labour dispute at Canada Post which began on October 22, is to set to end later today following the validation by the Canadian Senate of an emergency federal law forcing an end to the rotating strikes which have led to backlogs in mail and parcel deliveries.
The back-to-work legislation, which was passed by a 53-25 margin after being fast-tracked through the House of Commons last week, is set to take effect at noon local time today (Tuesday).
It calls for the resumption of postal services and the imposition of a mediation process to resolve the dispute between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
However, at time of writing industrial action was continuing at the Canadian postal utility.
In a statement, Canada Post said that as of 7am (local time) on Tuesday, the CUPW was "conducting strikes across the country", the union still being “in a legal strike position until noon Eastern Time (ET) today, November 27”.
Facilities located in British Columbia, Ontario, Ottawa, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island were affected, it noted.
“While we expect operations to resume in all affected areas as of noon ET today, backlogs remain severe and customers should continue to expect delays for the foreseeable future”, Canada Post added.
Yesterday it had warned that the backlog of mail and parcels was "severe" and expected to "worsen significantly" once online orders from Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales were processed.
Commenting on the adoption of the back-to-work legislation, Employment, Workforce and Labour Minister, Patty Hajdu said in a statement that it was a “last resort” after the government had spent “over a year” seeking to help Canada Post and the CUPW reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
This has included assistance from federal conciliation officers, mediators and a special mediator, she said.
The statement added: “Having exhausted all other options, it is necessary to protect the public interest and avoid further harm to the Canadian economy".
One media report said that the CUPW viewed the legislation as unconstitutional and has vowed to challenge it in court. However, the union has yet to make an official statement on the emergency law taking effect. The latest post on its website highlights where strikes are currently taking place.
In a statement yesterday, the union said it was "exploring all options to fight the back-to-work legislation" which if passed "will send our members back to the same old unresolved problems in the workplace at the busiest time of the year".
Another media report quoted the CUPW's local representative in London, Ontario, Karen Finlay-Russell, who said she was "appalled" by the Senate's decision to support government legislation forcing Canada Post employees back to work.
"I feel that the legislation is unjust", she said, adding that constraining staff to get back on the job at this time of year could result in workplace injuries and health and safety risks.
"This ends up being the most dangerous time because people are working faster, they're working harder and out in the dark."
Yesterday, Canada Post employees occupied a postal facility in London and also set up a picket line at its entrance.
However, the back-to-work legislation has been welcomed by Canada's small firms, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) emphasizing that it was “pleased the federal government has listened to small business by doing what was necessary to ensure postal service can resume ahead of the holiday season”.
Its president, Dan Kelly, commented. "The weeks leading to Christmas can represent a huge chunk of annual sales for retailers. The strike was quickly becoming an emergency for many small firms and for Canadian consumers at this very important time of year. The government made the right decision to introduce back to work legislation”.
A recent survey of CFIB members found that 71% supported legislating the postal workers back to work. Two-thirds of small businesses reported they had been negatively affected by the strike, at an average cost of $3,000. 67% suffered cash flow interruptions as a result of delayed cheques and invoices and 53% had to switch to a more expensive delivery service.
"Back to work legislation is never an easy choice, but it will help salvage the holiday season for small firms and consumers. We're relieved to see Canada Post back to work and hope the Corporation and the union can reach a long-lasting agreement to ensure Canada Post can become a low-cost and reliable option for small business" Kelly concluded.
