Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have reached a tentative agreement.
The draft agreements reached on Aug. 30 will apply to both bargaining units – urban, and rural and suburban mail carriers (RSMC).
In a statement Tuesday afternoon (Aug 30) MaryAnn Mihychuk, minister of employment, workforce development and labour, noted the agreements were reached voluntarily.
“These tentative agreements, reached voluntarily by the parties, are an important reminder for us all that a fair and balanced collective bargaining process works and can achieve real results for Canadian workers and employers,” said Mihychuk's statement.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers also posted its own announcement of the tentative deal.
“We're pleased that our members don't have to resort to taking job action,” said Mike Palecek, national president of the CUPW.
Barb Lilly, president of Local 818 in Red Deer, was very pleased to hear the news.
“Everybody is breathing a sigh of relief now,” said Lilly. “We have faith in our negotiators and national executive board that they came up with the best deal possible.”
Since Aug. 30 some of the details of the two separate agreements have been released. They include maintaining a defined benefit pension plan for all current and future permanent workers and securing short-term two-year agreements instead of four as was negotiated in the past.
Lilly said the contract lengths are a result of the ongoing Canada Post review.
“Once that review is done and the reports are available, that would put us probably around the time that we would be going back into negotiations,” she said, noting negotiations could begin in about six months' time.
The Canada Post review is expected to be complete by next spring.
“Some members have questioned the length of time for the review but they don't understand that something like this takes time and it is going to benefit us in the end,” she added.
Topics still on the negotiating table include pay equity for rural workers, postal banking and pensions.
Postal workers must still ratify the agreements.
“Our next step after we get the terms and conditions will be to hold a ratification vote,” said Lilly, noting they don't know at this time when that will take place.
“If the majority of the (union) membership votes it (tentative deal) down, then we're back into negotiations and the job action we were going to take,” explained Lilly. “We're hoping that everybody votes yes.
“I think we came out quite well,” she added. “They've said not everything is settled yet. That's for the next round of negotiations.”
Barb Lilly, president of Local 818
"Everybody is breathing a sigh of relief now."
