Canada Post workers won’t strike before Wednesday, according to the Canadian Union on Postal Workers. The union says it has presented Canada Post with new offers.
Provided CUPW gives 72 hours notice, 50-thousand of its members are legally allowed to strike starting today, and Canada Post is also allowed to lock out its workers. But union representatives say it hasn’t presented notice.
The union and Canada Post both say the number one sticking point in negotiations involves changes to employee pension plans.
Canada Post tabled new contract proposals a week ago, and on Friday, the union came forward with a counter-offer.
The union is proposing wage hikes, and rejecting Canada Post’s suggestion that new employees get a pension plan that operates like an RRSP, called defined contribution, instead of the defined benefit plan for current employees that guarantees a set level of retirement benefits.
The last time Canada Post experienced a work stoppage was in 2011, which included 10 days of rotating strikes and a lockout before employees were legislated back to work by Ottawa.
(Canadian Press)
