The union representing Canada Post employees says the Crown corporation’s latest contract proposal represents a significant regression rather than progress.
In a statement issued Friday, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) expressed disappointment with the new offer, which it says is worse than the one it rejected in August.
Canada Post tabled its latest proposal on Friday, reintroducing many of the same terms from its previous “final offers” in May. However, this time the offer removed the signing bonus and added provisions tied to anticipated job cuts.
The changes follow the federal government’s recently announced plan to overhaul Canada Post, which includes ending daily mail delivery, closing some rural post offices, and shifting most households to community mailboxes. Canada Post has endorsed the restructuring, and said its new offer reflects the expected downsizing of its workforce under the revamped model.
The union launched a nationwide strike shortly after the government’s plan was unveiled, calling the reforms a threat to both jobs and service quality.
CUPW said it will take time to review the more than 500 pages contained in the corporation’s latest offers before issuing a formal response.