I am not blaming just the union. The whole system has failed and neither side wants to admit it nor wants to make substantial changes to be viable. Both sides have dug in their heels. Union wants more money and job security, CP loses billions already with no path to viability.
We only know public information released. Maybe union said they were going to go early december and hold christmas hostage so management pulled the trigger earlier? Who knows.
A stoppage prior to christmas season is infinitely better for consumers than a work stoppage that happens during the season with tons of time-sensitive things in the system. By moving the date earlier, most time-sensitive items will be sent a different way (or intentionally delayed). Either way they are not caught in purgatory.
I agree, that timing has been carefully calculated. Lockout early allows other services to carry the load which minimizes the impact on consumers and businesses. Having zero Christmas packages 'in the mail' cancels a lot of union leverage.
I think the tide may be turning a bit on unions, particularly those with their fingers in the public purse.
CPC is a crown corporation, however those billion-dollar annual losses become a liability to the gov't who will use the taxpayer's money to cover. The heat directed at the unions is not so much about greedy employees, I think the beef is with greedy postal unions. Unions have to own a lot of the responsibility for making it difficult to impossible for Canada Post to stay competitive in a changing market.
Stuff like backing JT in the 2018 election in exchange for halting conversion to Supermailbox's, inflating the overall workforce by restricting the use of technology, and insisting on antiquated schemes for route management that reduce parcel delivery productivity to less than 1/2 that of an Amazon, Fedex and UPS driver.
As far as the media goes, they are reacting to the global shift to the right. Media understands a left bias may not be a winning strategy these days, so you're less likely to see them write stories supporting picket line walkers, and more likely to write a story on how little the average Canadian is impacted by this strike.
Valid points but I consider where I was at age 20, a half century ago and today. Back then I naively trusted the government to look out for my future. A house was affordable on blue collar wages as was a car and insurance. Groceries were affordable as was entertainment by today's standards. I haven't trusted the government in decades and JT is obscene in his looting of the public purse.
The problem is the lack of a reality check. Union members have for ages supported leaders that promise more and more. The security and sometimes money kept them in check. Job security without needed changes will eventually bankrupt Canada Post.
The reality is that postal services will be a different animal in ten years unless we just keep on printing money.
For the Luddites out there and groups like the Amish they can pay bills at the bank. Maybe CP can expand outlets to accomodate the Luddites by offering secure mail boxes and payment services. Forget door to door delivery.
When I lived in rural Manitoba we had a mailbox in town and went on a regular basis to collect.
Job security: If Blockbuster video was union and had job security they'd still have gone bankrupt. CP is a corporation and Canada is technically not responsible for its problems. Let the union run it until it turns to burnt toast.
A ten year plan lets members opt for retraining, early retirement on their own dime, a new career or a position in the new CP.
Valid points but I consider where I was at age 20, a half century ago and today. Back then I naively trusted the government to look out for my future. A house was affordable on blue collar wages as was a car and insurance. Groceries were affordable as was entertainment by today's standards. I haven't trusted the government in decades and JT is obscene in his looting of the public purse.
The problem is the lack of a reality check. Union members have for ages supported leaders that promise more and more. The security and sometimes money kept them in check. Job security without needed changes will eventually bankrupt Canada Post.
The reality is that postal services will be a different animal in ten years unless we just keep on printing money.
For the Luddites out there and groups like the Amish they can pay bills at the bank. Maybe CP can expand outlets to accomodate the Luddites by offering secure mail boxes and payment services. Forget door to door delivery.
When I lived in rural Manitoba we had a mailbox in town and went on a regular basis to collect.
Job security: If Blockbuster video was union and had job security they'd still have gone bankrupt. CP is a corporation and Canada is technically not responsible for its problems. Let the union run it until it turns to burnt toast.
A ten year plan lets members opt for retraining, early retirement on their own dime, a new career or a position in the new CP.
They will always have the mandate to carry mail, but I think their parcel delivery service will need to go. It was an early leader, with every opportunity to own the market and provide a gazillion jobs to union members. 10 years ago I was a CPC client, I spent $3K/day on package delivery and for the most part was happy. Cheaper, as reliable, and easier on my packages than UPS or FedEx and they went everywhere.
Over a few years, they just dropped off the competitive map. Prices went up, delivery standards down.
The strike in 2011 was the beginning of the end, postal workers were as productive as UPS and Fedex but felt they were overworked. Concessions in that strike bloated the workforce, which caused price increases and ultimately a loss in competitiveness. Mail/package volumes were 10B pieces, processed and delivered by 48,000 workers. By 2022, the volume dropped to 6.5B pieces and the workforce swelled to 55,000 workers - the loss in productivity is STAGGERING 50% over 10 years.
My guess is you're going to see them get out of the home delivery of mail. Lettermail delivery will get reduced to 1 or 2 days a week using contractors. Focus will go to distribution, parcel collections will at PO and larger commercial stops only, and they'll try to leverage rural delivery capabilities as contractors to the big parcel carriers. My guess is the workforce will be closer to 15,000 within a few years.
Here's another stinker. Guy has cancer and lost his benefits. Union doesn't miss an opportunity to express how it is unconscionable that employer doesn't pay. Of note, union made zero effort to pay either. Pitchforks and drums about spending other people's money. On a practical note, if CP suspended benefits, presumably they stopped paying premiums and there is no policy in force. Because the strike is on, CP should pick up the multi-thousand dollar bill? Sadly, edge cases take a beating.
"In a statement to CBC News, Canada Post said it provided CUPW with the opportunity to cover the cost of employee prescription benefits in the event they went on strike, but the union refused to do so."
"In a statement to CBC News, Canada Post said it provided CUPW with the opportunity to cover the cost of employee prescription benefits in the event they went on strike, but the union refused to do so."
That is the only "news" of any value in that typical CBC left bias hit piece, and speaks volumes about how the union actually feels about it's members indentured donor$.
That is the only "news" of any value in that typical CBC left bias hit piece, and speaks volumes about how the union actually feels about it's members indentured donor$.
I wouldnt be surprised at all. Paying for benefits hurts their bottom line. The union exists to make money. Having union members is a necessary evil for them. Providing minimal legally required support maximizes profit and union exec comp.
I don't remember if I posted this earlier, but any new contract with CP must include a provision that CP employees cannot strike or take any job action for the 3 month period October 15 - January 14.
Many businesses across Canada are taking a massive hit as the holiday period, in general, can account for a huge percentage of annual sales.
Not a bad idea… but you see, there’s a tidbit of information that seems to get glossed over or people are simply unaware of.
The CP/CUPW collective bargaining agreement expired 3 years ago. CUPW offered to renew the old agreement because it was Covid times and nobody really knew anything about what was going to happen.
The catch that CUPW included, was that CP would need to bargain in good faith, and get a deal done quickly, before the extension expired. CUPW understood that CP needed time to react and figure out how to address Covid, etc etc.
The extension expired OVER A YEAR AGO. CP has not kept their word and signed agreement to bargain in good faith whatsoever.
So basically, CUPW workers have not had a raise in over 6 years now. How much inflation has there been in 6 years? Pretty much historic numbers.
Going on strike at this time of year is the only way to actually pressure CP to get an agreement done ASAP.
Once we get past christmas rush I say let them picket for another year (sorry to the posties here, you seem like good people but government organizations and pseudo-government organizations need to be rethought and completely restructured imo).
Well, the letter carriers get “restructured” every 2-3 years on average.
In the past 20 years, TWENTY-FIVE full time letter carrier positions have been erased in the Guelph depot alone. The routes are made longer and longer and longer each time. Basically, a route gets removed, pieces of it get added to other routes.
So, you can’t say that the posties are at fault for the letter and parcel numbers. CP expects us to behave like pack mules and go ahead blindly.
Last route I owned averaged 27-32km a day. 170 stories of stairs a day!!!! For reference, the main deck of the CN tower is 155 stories. Day in, day out. Rain. Sun. Snow. Ice. Whatever nature throws at us, we are out there.
I think the vast majority of people believe that the only mail we deliver is what we have in our bags when we leave the depot with in the morning. On average, I reload 9-13 times a day depending on junk mail volume (1/3 of your route gets junk daily).
The management side needs to be revised in very short order. We are way over micro-managed. There are 5 more supervisors in Guelph now than 20 years ago, when there were 25 more letter carriers than now. Something reeks of mismanagement here.
Valid points but I consider where I was at age 20, a half century ago and today. Back then I naively trusted the government to look out for my future. A house was affordable on blue collar wages as was a car and insurance. Groceries were affordable as was entertainment by today's standards. I haven't trusted the government in decades and JT is obscene in his looting of the public purse.
The problem is the lack of a reality check. Union members have for ages supported leaders that promise more and more. The security and sometimes money kept them in check. Job security without needed changes will eventually bankrupt Canada Post.
The reality is that postal services will be a different animal in ten years unless we just keep on printing money.
For the Luddites out there and groups like the Amish they can pay bills at the bank. Maybe CP can expand outlets to accomodate the Luddites by offering secure mail boxes and payment services. Forget door to door delivery.
When I lived in rural Manitoba we had a mailbox in town and went on a regular basis to collect.
Job security: If Blockbuster video was union and had job security they'd still have gone bankrupt. CP is a corporation and Canada is technically not responsible for its problems. Let the union run it until it turns to burnt toast.
A ten year plan lets members opt for retraining, early retirement on their own dime, a new career or a position in the new CP.
I mentioned it earlier in this thread…
CUPW proposed Postal Banking to CP.
CP flat out refused.
CUPW pointed out “France made something like €3.6B ($5.041B Canadian) with postal banking last year (French Postal System Report - 2024 interim results)
CP refused to even consider it despite the obvious upside.
So, you tell me now who’s at fault for not wanting to adapt? CP is making the same mistake that RIM did and is doubling down on that mistake at every opportunity.
"In a statement to CBC News, Canada Post said it provided CUPW with the opportunity to cover the cost of employee prescription benefits in the event they went on strike, but the union refused to do so."
Yes and cupw not wanting to pick up the tab was a hard middle finger to their members. They could have picked up the bill and used it in PR about cp not playing along, instead it's blowing back on cupw as not supporting the workers in their time of need.
I mentioned it earlier in this thread…
CUPW proposed Postal Banking to CP.
CP flat out refused.
CUPW pointed out “France made something like €3.6B ($5.041B Canadian) with postal banking last year (French Postal System Report - 2024 interim results)
CP refused to even consider it despite the obvious upside.
So, you tell me now who’s at fault for not wanting to adapt? CP is making the same mistake that RIM did and is doubling down on that mistake at every opportunity.
I agree. Expanding to crazy fields to prop up and avoid restructuring your primary purpose doesn't solve anything. Knowing how government operates, they'd hire tens of thousands more employees with the expanded scope and end up losing money on that venture too. If you couldn't make money selling wood, you'd stop selling wood you wouldn't start a bank to subsidize the wood business.
The time to fix the fundamental issues with cp and mail delivery is now. As per mm's analysis, that likely involves cutting tens of thousands of employees. I can't see any reason for door to door to survive, super boxes for all. Another cockup to add to jt's bill. Delaying just means the hole is bigger and harder to climb out of.
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