‘Final Offer’ Vote Looms at Canada Post — Optimism in Short Supply

An increasingly bitter labour fight at Canada Post could be over as soon as Friday — but labour experts say not to count on it.

 

Voting by up to 53,000 postal workers on the Crown corporation’s ‘final’ contract offer closes Friday at 5 p.m., wrapping up balloting overseen by the Canada Industrial Relations Board which began July 21.

 

If the vote — ordered by the federal government — is in favour of the deal, employees would finally have a contract after 18 months of bargaining, a month-long strike last winter, and a key report from an arbitrator.

 

But that’s unlikely to happen, according to labour experts, who say forced votes are almost always counterproductive.

 

“I’m still thinking it will be rejected,” said Steven Tufts, a labour studies professor at York University. “Partly on the contents of the deal, but also just on principle.”

A ‘no’ vote, argued Tufts, likely means layoffs, sooner rather than later.

 

“I can’t see them not being punitive,” Tufts said.

 

In a written statement, Canada Post said it was still hoping members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers will approve the contract offer, but wouldn’t comment on what would happen if it’s turned down. Roughly 70 per cent of eligible voters had already cast their ballot by Tuesday afternoon, the spokesperson said.

 

“We won’t speculate on what may happen in the event of a no vote other than we’d most likely be entering a period of heightened uncertainty and further unsustainable financial losses,” the spokesperson said. “Their vote is their choice and we are hopeful that a majority of them will choose to accept the offers.”

 

The spokesperson added that the Crown corporation lost roughly $10 million a day in June.

 

The union didn’t respond to a request for comment, but in a memo on the CUPW website, national president Jan Simpson urged members to vote no.

 

 

 

 

 

This article was first reported by The Star