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A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (OUPW) says Canada Post’s latest offer to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the “opposite direction.”
CTV News reports that CPUW negotiator Jim Gallant said, in a televised interview on Friday, that the union received a low offer from Canada Post earlier in the day.
He said, “What we can see from the offer that we received today is that Canada Post is moving in the opposite direction than we need to get to a negotiated collective agreement. We’re extremely disappointed.”
In an emailed statement Saturday, Canada Post told CTVNEWS.ca that it has yet to receive a formal response from the union and that the public comments were a surprise.
The response reads: “We have made significant moves to close the gap on key issues like weekend delivery, pensions and wages and bring much-needed urgency to the discussion.
“We are currently operating within a confidential process, which was agreed to by both parties. With the movements we’ve made, we would have preferred to hear from CUPW through that process rather than cause additional concern for our customers and employees.”
While the strike enters its fourth week and both parties are expressing a desire to resolve it, official mediation between them has not fully resumed.
Asked about the impact on Canadians, Gallant said, “Canada Post; they’re going to be the Grinch, and they’re not going to let Canadians have Christmas, at this point. Canada Post really needs to be told by the government that this isn’t the way.”
