Post and the postal workers union found slivers of consensus Tuesday amid talks with a special mediator, but “a lot of ground” remains between them on the key concerns as a countrywide strike entered its fifth day.
“On smaller issues, we were able to find some progress,” said Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton in a phone interview.
“The special mediator has helped facilitate those discussions. So we’re going to continue to be at it. We’re committed to getting collective agreements,” he said, adding that arbitration is off the table for now.“ There’s still a lot of ground to cover.”
With deliveries at a standstill, the Crown corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers continue to bargain over a pair of contracts — one for rural and suburban mail carriers that was discussed Monday, the other for urban carriers that was under the microscope on Tuesday.
The union said progress was made due in part to the presence of Ottawa’s top mediator, appointed to the task last week. Peter Simpson, director general of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, spent the start of the week at a hotel in Ottawa shuttling between the parties’ conference rooms in a back-and-forth of proposals and potential concessions.
“After 12 months of discussions, the employer finally began to move on the pressing issues. Resolving these issues could pave the way to agreements,” union president Jan Simpson said in an update to members Tuesday.
“The urban unit will find out if there is movement on their side.”
About 55,000 employees represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers walked off the job on Friday, shutting down operations and halting deliveries as the busy holiday season kicks off.
The union has called for a cumulative wage hike of 24 per cent over four years, while Canada Post has offered an 11.5 per cent increase.
Photos by Natasha Elliot
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