The union representing Canada Post workers says negotiations on a new contract will resume Wednesday after a delay brought on by the Air Canada flight attendants strike.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) on Tuesday said the tentative agreement reached between Air Canada and its flight attendants following a days-long strike had shown “what can be achieved when workers stand united” and created new momentum for the upcoming talks.
“CUPE’s win proves that when workers are free to bargain collectively, real progress is possible,” CUPW national president Jan Simpson said in a statement, referring to the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ Air Canada component.
“The government must stop interfering with collective bargaining and allow postal workers, Air Canada workers, and all unions to reach fair agreements at the table.”
A Canada Post spokesperson confirmed in an email to Global News that the company will be meeting with CUPW on Wednesday.
Talks between CUPW and Canada Post were originally set to restart last week, following months of on-and-off negotiations toward a new labour agreement.
However, Canada Post then said federal mediators were unavailable for the planned negotiations and talks had been rescheduled for Aug. 20.
CUPW said last week that the mediators were unavailable “due to their current involvement in the Air Canada negotiations.”
Air Canada flight attendants went on strike Saturday, and stayed on the picket lines even after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) declared the strike “unlawful” and ordered operations to resume.
A tentative agreement was reached early Tuesday morning amid increasing pressure from the federal government and the public to reach a deal and end the strike, which had led to hundreds of flight cancellations.
“Both Air Canada workers and postal workers know that when one group of workers is pushed down, it drags everyone down, but when we stand together, we lift everyone up,” Simpson said Tuesday.
“We are fighting parallel battles. Our struggles are connected, and our victories will be shared.”
CUPW members rejected Canada Post’s “best and final offers” early this month after a two-week vote administered by the CIRB.
The union has been calling on Canada Post to restart negotiations ever since, and Wednesday’s talks will mark the first sit-down between the parties following the vote.
Canada Post’s most recent proposal that was voted on included wage hikes of about 13 per cent over four years and restructuring to add part-time workers to the deal.
The union has long fought against use of contracted or part-time workers, arguing savings can be found elsewhere.
Canada Post has repeatedly said it is facing an “existential crisis” and financial strain amid declining letter and parcel volumes, making it difficult to meet the union’s demands on wages and other issues.
“While negotiations remain unresolved, there remains an urgent need to modernize Canada Post and protect this vital national service for Canadians,” the Crown corporation said last week.
An Industrial Inquiry Commission report from Commissioner William Kaplan earlier this year declared the postal service is effectively bankrupt and needs substantial reforms to remain afloat.
Negotiations between the two parties for a new collective agreement have been ongoing for more than a year and a half.