The head of the postal workers' union in Windsor is encouraging taxpayers to start calling their MPs to lobby for major changes to Canada Post.
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Local 630 President Phyl Lyons said CUPW has given Canada Post plenty of business proposals to get into greening the economy and other ideas to sustain postal services, but the union is not getting much cooperation. The remarks come on the heels of the union rejecting a Canada Post proposal for an 80-day "cooling-off" period followed by binding arbitration to end the rotating strikes.
Lyons said the latest Canada Post proposal is the same old thing just rehashed over and over.
"We've been negotiating with this corporation for over a year now. They just seem to have a dependence on the government. They're almost like a child that can't survive," said Lyons.
CUPW National President Mike Palacek said the plan was rejected because it is not acceptable and is urging Canada Post to get back to the bargaining table.
The rotating strikes started on October 23.
Lyons said mail carriers already had a cooling off period a couple of months ago and the new Canada Post proposal had nothing new.
"We've seen all these games before from this corporation and they can't keep doing this to the Canadian public, especially small business who really depends on us now more than ever," he said.
Lyons said the union just wants a negotiated collective agreement and is calling for a mediator to end the dispute.
"Nobody [is] settling it for Canada Post, they're on their own. They stand on their own two feet because they've been too dependant on the government for back to work legislation in the past and it needs to stop," Lyons adds.