October 9, 2018 – The union representing 50,000 employees at Canada Post panned the latest contract offers from the corporation last week, calling them “disappointing” and keeping alive the threat of a work stoppage as the busy holiday online shopping season approaches. As earlier advised by Canaan Transport, the possibility of a work stoppage has hovered over Canada Post since Sept. 26 after postal workers voted overwhelmingly in late summer in support of a potential walkout to back their contract demands. But that initial deadline passed without any job action being launched, with CUPW saying it would stay at the bargaining table so long as there was progress in the talks. That position had not changed Thursday, said CUPW national president Mike Palecek. “Those are discussions that we’re having daily, based on developments,” he said. Job action could include a full or partial walkout, or a lockout, after a 72-hour notice period. The threat of a work stoppage over the holidays has forced companies that rely on Canada Post for parcel deliveries to make alternative plans to ensure their customers receive orders. However, it may be difficult to fill all of the service gaps in the event of a shutdown. Canaan Transport does have contingency plans in place for our customers that are affected by our e-commerce program and these will be implemented if a strike does occur. However, some impact may be felt on deliveries given the breadth of services that Canada Post provides. Canada Post is the biggest parcel shipping company in the country, having delivered about one million parcels per day during the holiday season last year – an increase of 20 per cent over the same period in 2016.
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