HALDIMAND—Postal workers across Haldimand and beyond have been picketing in recent days, receiving honks of support from passing motorists.
Joanne Horton, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Simcoe Local 605, spoke about the challenges postal workers face and the union’s demands.
“Our goal is simple: support each other and our negotiators in Ottawa while we wait for a resolution,” Horton said. “We want to go back to work, supporting our community the way we always have – delivering mail, parcels, and flyers daily.”
Despite their hopes for a swift resolution, Horton acknowledged that talks have hit a deadlock.
“From what I’ve heard, the two sides are still far apart,” she said on the morning of Tuesday, November 19, 2024 while picketing outside the Hagersville Post Office on King Street.
The union’s concerns include Canada Post’s proposal to replace current benefits with a “flex benefits” system, which workers say would diminish their value. Other key issues involve changes to pension structures, unsafe working conditions, and a controversial delivery method known as “separate sort delivery.”
“It delays mail delivery and burdens our carriers with excessive workloads – walking over 20 kilometers a day with heavy bags,” Horton said. “This leaves workers physically exhausted and prone to injuries.”
Safety is also a pressing concern, particularly for rural and suburban mail carriers (RSMCs). Horton criticized inadequate safety measures, such as issuing headlamps for nighttime work, which she described as insufficient.
“Many of our workers, like a member retiring after 37 years, face financial insecurity with pensions as low as $900 a month,” Horton said. “We’re asking for tools to stay safe, a dignified retirement, and conditions that reflect the hard work we do.”
Horton emphasized the crucial role postal workers play in rural communities: “Sometimes, we’re the only person some seniors see all day,” she shared.
CUPW has proposed initiatives such as weekend delivery, postal banking, and wellness checks for at-risk citizens, but Horton said Canada Post has yet to engage with these ideas.
The Simcoe Local 605 represents approximately 75 workers serving Hagersville, Jarvis, Waterford, and surrounding areas. Horton expressed gratitude to the community for its continued support.
“We appreciate the community standing by us,” she said. “We don’t want to be out here. We want to be back inside doing our jobs.”
Last week, the federal government appointed Peter Simpson, director general of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, to assist in the negotiations.
CUPW represents approximately 55,000 workers in its urban, rural, and suburban mail carrier units, all of whom are currently off the job. In a statement, the union criticized Canada Post for refusing to address key worker concerns.
“Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day,” the union said.
With Canada Post facing $490 million in losses in the first half of 2024 and $3 billion in losses since 2018, the Crown corporation has argued that the union’s demands would add unsustainable costs.
In a statement, the company emphasized that it remains committed to reaching a settlement.
“Both sides are still working towards achieving negotiated settlements, and discussions will continue,” Canada Post said Saturday.
The company’s latest offer includes annual wage increases totaling 11.5% over four years, protection of the defined benefit pension for current employees, and job security provisions.
