Canada Post made the right choice. CUPW and the workers are making unrealistic and undeserved demands. Wage freezes are becoming the norm, wage roll-backs have occurred in some sectors, and banking sick time should have been phased out 20 years ago as it was in gov't funded hospitals! This job requires the ability to read, walk, and carry heavy bags of mail. $24 per hour is ridiculously high, and they want higher? Welcome to reality, CP workers, signed a CAW union member.

Canada Post is hoping for back to work legislation that will allow them to carry on business as usual and will allow them no need to settle a contract with CUPW. They claim that they have lost hundreds of million dollars due to the rotating strikes that have occurred. These rotating strikes have been no more disruptive than having a stat holiday once a month. Shame on you Canada Post and shame on the Harper Government for sticking their nose in where it doesn't YET belong.

Canada Post and the CUPW are holding the small business people at knife point. Small business rely on Canada Post to move invoices and cheques along with parcels. This is hurting the small business, which in turn will hurt every Canadian. Wake up and smell the coffee.

I liked the rotating strikes. CUPW was simply proving that we don't need daily mail delivery. I wonder how much CP could save if they reduced regular delivery to 3 days a week. Then they could charge a premium for any individuals or companies demanding daily service. Either a decrease in labour costs or increase in revenue would help CP meet CUPW contract demands.

May 24: CPC begins its disinformation campaign. It issues a news release claiming CUPW demands would cost $1.4 Billion. It never attempts to explain the number.June 1: CPC continues its disinformation campaign and claims mail volumes have declined 17% since 2006.June 2-11:59 p.m.: CUPW begins rotating strikes.June 3: CPC cuts off drug coverage and other benefits to all employees, including those on sick leave and disability insurance. June 7: CPC claims mail volumes have declined by 50% since June 3rd. This does not correspond with information from postal facilities. June 8: CPC announces it will stop letter carrier delivery on Tuesdays and Thursdays. June 9: Labour Minister Lisa Raitt requests that the union suspends its rotating strikes and that CPC resumes postal service. CPC Chief Operating Officer claims CUPW has more than 50 demands on the table. CPC reneges on several of their offers. June 10: CUPW agrees to suspend strike activity and continues to negotiate. At 6 p.m., Canada Post management rejects the union's offer. June 13: CUPW accuses Canada Post of aggressively trying to force postal workers out on a full-scale national strike in order to secure back-to-work legislation from the majority Conservative government. June 14 (morning): CPC claims to have lost $70 million in revenue since June 3rd. In answering the question of a reporter, Labour Minister Raitt says there is no need for back-to-work legislation at Canada Post since it is only a rotating strike and the mail was still moving. June 14 (evening): CPC claims to have lost almost $100 million in revenue since June 3rd. It announces an immediate national lockout. June 15 (morning): Labour Minister Raitt says she has received very few complaints about the rotating postal strikes. June 15 (afternoon): Labour Minister Raitt announces that in response to CPC's national lockout she will introduce back-to-work legislation. The manner by which CPC provoked the government to introduce back-to-work legislation, explains their refusal to truly negotiate during the past eight months. They began negotiations determined to attack the rights and benefits of the workers who have made Canada Post a profitable company for 16 years. Now they have been rewarded for their intransigence by the Harper government. In solidarity,Denis Lemelin
National President and Chief Negotiator