
Ottawa puts latest Canada Post offer up for a vote by union members
OTTAWA — The federal government is asking unionized Canada Post employees to vote directly on the latest offers from the postal service — a rare intervention in labour negotiations that one expert said could give the employer the “upper hand” in its long-standing dispute with the union.
Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced in a social media post Thursday that she’s using her powers under the Canada Labour Code to send the Crown corporation’s latest offers to Canadian Union of Postal Workers members for a vote.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board will be directed to conduct the vote “as soon as possible,” she said.
In a media statement issued Thursday, Canada Post spokesperson Lisa Liu said the corporation welcomes the vote, adding “it will provide employees with the opportunity to have a voice and vote on a new collective agreement at a critical point in our history.”