‘This can be really devastating’: Canada Post strike’s impact in B.C.

Canada Post employees in B.C. could soon go on strike if a deal is not reached by Friday.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) issued a 72-strike notice to its employer on Tuesday morning in an attempt to reach a new deal.

University of British Columbia economics professor, Julien Picault, says the two sides have been negotiating for nearly a year, yet there hasn’t been much progress.

“It seems like the bargaining is not moving as fast as the union wants. So, they're basically putting some pressure there,” said Picault.

He believes the union is taking the start of the Christmas rush as an opportunity to get their message across in the hopes it accelerates bargaining.

The unions demands include; wage increases in line with inflation, “improved staffing provisions,” increased paid medical days, paid meals and rest periods, and improved rights for temporary employees.

Canada Post’s latest offer included annual wage increases that amounted to 11.5 per cent over four years. It also offered protection of the defined benefit pension for current employees, as well as job security and health benefits.

The union rejected the proposal and said last month that members voted overwhelmingly to support a strike if a deal could not be reached.

Canada Post said in a statement, that if a deal cannot be reached, it will continue delivering mail even if the union initiates rotating strike activity. Benefit cheques, including those for the Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan, will also continue to be delivered despite any disruptions.

“Canada Post has notified the union that unless new agreements are reached, the current collective agreements will no longer apply as of Friday,” the statement reads. “The Corporation will then be in a position, using the means provided in the Canada Labour Code, to adjust operations based on its operational realities and business needs.”

The company reported a loss of about $748 million last year, and $490 million just in the first half of this year. A spokesperson says the challenges will “intensify” if they do not adapt to compete with the modern parcel delivery market.

Rural B.C.impact

Dan Kelly, the president of the Candan Federation of Independent Business, told CTV News Vancouver that remote communities and other rural areas could be the most impacted by a postal strike.

He says due to the lack of roads, some parcel delivery companies do not travel there, leaving Canada Post as the sole provider.

“This can be really devastating. A lot of those depend on Canada Post,” said Kelly.

The union said in statement that it’s undecided whether job actions will take place immediately, though they’ll legally be in position to strike as of Friday.

With files from CTV’s Stephanie Ha and The Canadian Press.