OTTAWA—As the clock ticks down on the Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ strike mandate, contract talks with Canada Post are going nowhere fast.
Each side blames the other for the stalled negotiations.
The union fears the Crown corporation is trying to run out the clock on the union’s strike mandate, which expires Aug. 25.
But Canada Post says the union is insisting on $1 billion worth of demands that are simply not affordable.
Once the strike mandate expires, CUPW president Mike Palecek says Canada Post management could unilaterally impose changes in working conditions and the union would be unable to respond.
“We’re concerned Canada Post is just trying to wait us out,” Palecek said in an interview.
“We obviously can’t leave ourselves in a position where we’re not covered by a strike mandate, because that would give management the upper hand and we wouldn’t be able to respond to the actions that they might take.”
