Ottawa – On November Friday 29th, 2024, CUPW – Canadian Union of Postal Workers, filed an Unfair Labour Practice complaint with the CIRB Canada Industrical Relations Board against lay offs imposed by CPC (Canada Post) on workers who are exercising their legal right to strike.
We feel this unprecedented move on the part of CPC is a clear intimidation tactic in violation of the Canada Labour Code. It is an attack on your fundamental right to strike that is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Canada Post did not consult the Union before laying off our members and is refusing to provide essential information to the union in terms of the number of lay offs, when they happened and how employees were selected for these lay offs.
We are taking this legal action and are asking for interim relief to force CPC to provide information to the Union, to rescind those lay offs and stop threatening our members who are exercising their constitutionally protected right to strike.
If you are notified by CPC that you are being laid off, either by a phone call, an email or a letter, please contact your local as soon as possible and gather as much information as possible. Please note the time and manner you were notified of the lay off and ask the CPC representative for a written confirmation as well as the reason of said lay-offs.
Further to that, ask your local to file a grievance on your behalf just as if the collective agreement was in effect. Please note that if you have only received a Record of Employment from Canada Post and have not been notified by Canada Post that you have been laid off, the ROE on its own does not mean that you were laid off and for the moment, please do not file a grievance. We will advise you if and when further actions are required on your part.
As of press time – Canada Post has not put any response on their website.
