For Immediate Release

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has made a final offer to Canada Post in
the hopes of negotiating a settlement.

The offer includes several important amendments and clarifications to our positions and we are confident this offer can be accepted by CPC as the basis of a settlement.

CUPW has also given the notice, required by the Canada Labour Code, of its intent to strike if there is no settlement flowing from its final offer. The union will be in a legal position to strike on Thursday, June 2, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The union said the notice puts pressure on Canada Post to actually negotiate.

“Striking is our only real bargaining lever with Canada Post and we have concluded that we must give notice that we are willing to use our legal right to strike to get a decent contract that meets the needs of our members and preserves public postal service,” said CUPW National President Denis Lemelin.

“After seven months of negotiations, Canada Post continues to demand major concessions, including unsafe work methods, a 22 per cent wage reduction for new hires and the elimination of a sick leave plan that members have had for over 40 years,” said Lemelin.

“Canada Post’s intransigence at the bargaining table has left the union with little choice but to accept unsafe and unfair conditions or strike. But we hope it won’t come to that.”

Lemelin said the union is willing to bargain right up to the strike deadline to get a contract based on its final offer, which means that a work disruption could still be averted even though the union has given notice of its intent to strike.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers represents 48,000 members in its urban operations bargaining unit, including full-time, part-time, and temporary workers. It also represents another 7000 rural and suburban mail carriers at Canada Post who are part of another bargaining unit.

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For more information contact: Aalya Ahmad, Communications Specialist, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Cell: 613-327-1177, Email: aahmad@cupw-sttp.org , CUPW website: www.cupw.ca