The federal labour minister says the government will remain on the sidelines as the Canada Post strike nears four weeks.
Steven MacKinnon told reporters Wednesday that while Canadians are fed up with the countrywide strike by more than 55,000 workers, it’s up to the two parties to get a deal done.
The federal government has been under pressure from business groups to intervene in the strike, as it has done in other recent high-profile labour disputes.
Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have been in a war of words in recent days as federal mediation remains on pause.
On Wednesday, Canada Post said the union’s new demands are unaffordable and unsustainable, and claimed they would cost more than $3 billion over four years at a time when the postal service is struggling financially.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers pushed back on Canada Post’s earlier criticism of its latest proposals in a bulletin to members Tuesday evening, giving a list of proposals it said are meant to bring the two parties closer together.
Canada Post said Monday that the union’s proposals widen the gap between the two parties and that, in some cases, the union has increased its demands.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says it’s time for both Canada Post and the union representing postal workers ‘to reflect the great responsibility that they have,’ negotiate, ‘get a deal and return the postal service to Canadians.’
The union said its latest proposals included wage increases below what was previously demanded, as well as a cost-of-living allowance and better job security.
The union’s latest wage demands total 19 per cent over four years. Canada Post said it recognizes this is a step lower than before but pointed out that its own recent proposal offered 11.5 per cent over four years.
Canada Post also pushed back on other demands from the union, and doubled down on its proposal to create new jobs to support an expansion into weekend delivery.
The proposed expansion has been a key sticking point in negotiations, with the two sides unable to come to an agreement over how to staff weekends.
During question period, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said that Canadians are suffering due to the postal strike and called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring the union and Canada Post together to end the almost four-week-old strike. Trudeau acknowledged that small businesses and Canadians in rural areas are hurting but said that the best deals happen at the bargaining table.
MacKinnon said Wednesday he wants to see the two sides take the negotiations seriously.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also pressed the government on Wednesday, asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during question period whether he would “sit the two sides down, get a deal and put an end to this dreadful strike.”
“We believe that the best deals happen at the bargaining table,” Trudeau responded.
The Current19:56Frustration mounts as Canada Post strike drags on
As the Canada Post strike enters its fourth week, small businesses and rural communities in particular are feeling the pinch. We hear from entrepreneurs who are losing money — and one who is losing their patience — plus a labour expert who says the strike is only proving the courier to be vital.