THUNDER BAY – “I told you so.”
“We got our no. We knew we were going to get the no," CUPW Local 620 president Leo Favreau told Newswatch on Tuesday after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers across Canada voted no to Canada Post's "final offer."
The forced vote, which was ordered by MP Patty Hajdu in her new role as jobs and families minister, slowed down the process of securing a collective bargaining agreement, he said.
"Basically, everything's been delayed by six weeks to do this. It should have been done a long time ago. It should have been worked out and a deal in place,” Favreau said.
On July 17, Favreau urged local members to vote against Canada Post's final offer, and when the polls closed at midnight on Friday, 69.4 per cent of rural and suburban mail carriers and 68.5 per cent of urban mail carriers had voted to go back to the bargaining table.
“I'm extremely happy. Canada Post did exert a lot of pressure on everybody to vote yes, and I am really impressed with the numbers that we got and the people that are just sick and tired of all this. I do realize some people did vote yes, and I'm hoping that we can make them happy as well, but we do want to put an end to this,” Favreau said.
He said the next steps are for the union and Canada Post to “sit down and have a fair negotiation.”
“I'm hoping that they will sit down and actually bargain in good faith. I mean, they've had us run through the, the coals and we've done everything that they've asked,” Favreau said.
The union is ready and committed to reaching a deal with Canada Post, said CUPW National President Jan Simpson in a media release.
“We expect the same from Canada Post. And we’re calling on the government to prove to postal workers that it really respects the collective bargaining process, like it says it does. If the government truly respects unions and collective bargaining, it will keep out. No more back to work orders. No more forced votes,” Simpson wrote.
“This result does not lessen the urgent need to modernize and protect this vital national service," Canada Post said in a media release dated Friday. "However, it does mean the uncertainty that has been significantly impacting our business – and the many Canadians and Canadian businesses who depend on Canada Post – will continue. We are evaluating our next steps.”
Favreau said he questions “management's agenda,” fearing that if another full strike happens, Canada Post would shift the mail carrier services onto Purolator, which is majority-owned by Canada Post.
“I think the agenda is still privatization. And to me, you privatize Canada Post. What's next? So, I'm hoping they can settle. I'm hoping they can figure something out,” Favreau said.
For the time being, postal workers are still working to rule, and an overtime ban is still in effect, according to Favreau.