Feds ready to force crews back to work

OTTAWA • The federal government has given notice that they’re prepared to legislate Canada Post employees back to work as the postal service warns of major shipping delays heading into the peak holiday season.

Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said that 48 hours notice is required before introducing back-to-work legislation, but insisted that having done so doesn’t mean the government will make the move to end rotating strikes by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

“We have complete flexibility about when we’ll introduce that legislation,” Hajdu told reporters.

The potential of forcing postal employees back to work comes in the fifth week of rotating strikes by thousands of unionized workers as the union and postal service remain apart in contract negotiations.

Canada Post said Tuesday that Canadians can expect delays of parcel and mail delivery into 2019 as a result of the strikes, especially in southwestern Ontario because of a backlog of hundreds of transport trailers sitting idle at its main Toronto sorting facility.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has, however, challenged the claims of major backlogs, saying they have been highly exaggerated.

The union said Wednesday that it counted about 70 trailers in Toronto, which could be cleared in a matter of days, along with a smattering of trailers elsewhere in Ontario and on the East Coast.

“We’re convinced that Canada Post manufactured a crisis just to get the government to intervene,” said Mike Palecek, CUPW national president, in a statement.

“If so, that’s a huge concern, and it will further poison our work environment and labour relations for years and years to come.”

He said he welcomed news that the government has reappointed Morton Mitchnick as a special mediator, but was concerned the federal Liberals had moved forward on back-to-work legislation at the same time.

“Our negotiators will do their best to reach a negotiated settlement, but the government’s announcement pulls the rug out from under us,” he said.

Hajdu said she’ll let Mitchnick take the time he needs to push forward the protracted negotiations.

“We’ve given notice to the House, we are extremely serious, (but) I really don’t want to have to use back-to-work legislation,” said Hajdu.

“But having said that, this is a really busy time of year, people are relying on Canada Post to deliver packages, small and medium-size businesses are relying on Canada Post to have a profitable season and our economy needs Canada Post to be able to function in a smooth way.”

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers on Monday turned down an offer for a holiday cooling-off period and a possible $1,000 bonus for its 50,000 members, saying it would only mean postal employees continuing to work under the same conditions the union is trying to have changed.