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The Halifax public organizes rally to support the locked out postal workers.
Locked Out in Halifax, NS
On Thursday afternoon, a large group rallied together right outside the Almon Street Canada Post main office in Halifax to support the locked out postal workers. The lockout was declared late Tuesday night by the Canada Post Crown Corporation, after 12 days of rotating strikes. The rally was organized by public supporters, whose sentiment was echoed by cars honking in solidarity as they passed by, and smoke rising from the barbeques manned by volunteers. After listening to speeches from local union representatives and allies, I got a chance to speak with Trevor Beckerson, the President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Peter Coswell, an employee of Canada Post and Diane Pickering from CUPW.
Topics: SolidarityLabour
114 words
bar baz
Comments
Was this written by the union!
Submitted by AdrianJSC (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 10:19.
This is the biggest load of horse(****) I've read in years! CUPW does not have any public support! No one outside of Government or Crown Corp. have the kind of benefits these people have. They are just greedy and self serving.
All the union cares about is keeping up high revenue from union dues.
Legislate them back to work as soon as possible. The only people this is really hurting are small independent businesses that rely on a cheaper alternative to the more expensive private courier companies.
We are a small independant business and don't have all these benefits that these overpaid under-worked union people have. All we have are our customers who can't buy and have their order shipped from us until this strike is resolved.
Thanks for trying to bankrupt us!
Listen to yourselves, blaming
Submitted by TOM (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 10:51.
Listen to yourselves, blaming Canada Post locking out you guys and not able to go to work. If you did not start the strike in the first place, Canada Post would not have locked you out! How can any business run without knowing if the workers will show up to work for the day? No mercy on the workers at all!
Back to work like the rest of us
Submitted by TamaraL (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 11:09.
Agree with back to work legislation and the unions can go pound sand. I too am a business onwer and this strike has hurt my shipping and lowered my sales. I could use other couries but CP has a monopoly on certain addresses (Range roads, PO boxes) so I need them for those addresses. Many of my USPS packages are @ the border, sitting there waiting for pickup.
I'll say what many are too polite to say: CP workers are not skilled workers. There, I said it! Maybe a few went to college but let's be honest: They have high school education, sort or deliver mail, get paid for full hours, get good benefits & vacation especially compared to others with the same skill sets and now they want more?
Compare a CP workers skill set on Payscale and see what other people are getting paid. CP needs to say " This is the job - take it or leave it. There's the door, if you don't like working here - bye!" Just like any other job. I'm all for fairness & equality but CP workers are paid better (monetary & benefits) that many jobs including skilled jobs like medical professionals. Enough already.
Quit CP and try to find another job that pays as well. You are in for a shock because you wont' find it.
CP has a monopoly and should be deemed an essential service, no strike action allowed - period. Either that or privitize the whole mailing industry and get rid of CP because we need our mail, and shipping options. We are just coming out of the recession and this is not helping, it's hurting.
The majority of Canadians (78%) do not support the CUPW so it tells you something loud & clear: CP workers are lucky to have jobs and many people would gladly take their place. The unions must be abolished as they mislead and misinform their workers about what is reasonable to expect.
The public should support the
Submitted by Matt (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 11:17.
The public should support the workers not for the benefits they receive or would like to receive. Everyone would like good benefits, if huge employers like Canada Post drop these sort of benefits then it simply hurts the overall job market in our country. It errodes the purchasing power of our country which, in the long term, will actually damage the economy.
The reason why people should support Canada Post and the workers is because of the circumstances. A government official forced the workers out, and another government official is going to force them back. This alone should draw public support, because no matter how much you want or despise what they have, this is becoming a direct attack on worker rights. The workers never went on strike simply because they did not want to be the cause of an outright stoppage of mail. The rotating strikes may have been a bit of a annoyance to the public, but they really gave the workers a strong voice at the negotiations (the company had a voice by cutting all benefits, laying casuals off, and cutting hours).
Standing with the Posties
Submitted by David Bush on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 11:31.
great article and terrible comments thus far. I am not a postal worker but i stand in Solidarity with all postal workers and so do all of my friends and neighbours! For those of you wanting back to work legislation for locked out postal workers shame on you! This is a struggle about health ad safety in the workplace, good jobs and fair pensions for all. If you are a small business and are complaining about your deliveries, then blame Canada Post and not the workers. Today workers are volunatarily delievering social assistance cheques. What is management doing? Nothing wasting space, drawing big salries and benefits. There ain't but two sides to this struggle:
You either stand tall with other working people or you lie down with the bosses.
Re: Standing with the Posties
Submitted by Anonymous in BC (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 12:12.
My sentiments exactly. Canada Post has NO right to lockout employees and bring mail to a complete halt!!
I DO NOT SUPPORT THE UNION!
Submitted by Anonymous in Halifax (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 12:21.
This is a pure piece of propaganda, I have talked to dozens of my friends and colleagues so far and no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE supports the union. Can't wait for the gov't to force all you lazy, greedy bunch of union goons back to work this week.
P.S.: My passport is in the mail and thanks to you useless postal fellas, I have to delay my flights twice for $800, I guess it doesn't mean much to you guys cuz you make it back in under a week with your $24 starting salary you greedy parasites!!!
Postal lockout
Submitted by Barb in Nanaimo (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 13:50.
I am shocked at the comments from small businesses. the fact is the postal workers would love to be at work delivering your mail. It is the employer who locked them out. It is a fundamental right of Canadians to belong to a union and a right to collective bargaining. The employer has stalled talks for many months and then locked them out.
The employer has been manipulative and is using the government of the day to try and force back to work legislation which takes away the legal right of the union to bargain.
It shows the ignorance of some of the public on rights, I am sure when yours are violated you are up hollering about those.
You will never get the truth of any story in the news from the main stream media. I suggest those who really want to know what is going on look at some other sites such as facebook or on line from the CUPW website. You will find there is much more than what you are hearing, remember there are always 2 sides and the posties have a right to be heard as well.
Some of you speak to the loss of earnings, well the posties are offered a huge loss of income from the employer, would you like that, maybe they have benefits but remember they were bargained for over many years. Just because some people don't does that mean that nobody should be paid decently and have benefits?? Why, in this rich country, should people be so determined to race to the bottom, do we really want to be like a 3rd world country? Come on and open your eyes and see what is really going on.
While many companies are trying to take away pensions and benefits to the working folk, they are protecting the backsides of themselves. Do you know for instance that Shaw got rid of an incompenent CEO with a pension, for life of $16,000 per day. Get real and look at the problems when corporations run the country.
Yesterday at the Post Office
Submitted by cole on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 14:09.
Inspiring article from militant postal worker out west:
http://recompositionblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/yesterday-at-the-post-...
I cannot wait for the back to
Submitted by Jeff (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 14:10.
I cannot wait for the back to work legislation to end this dispute.
If one is unhappy with the pay or other employment terms, simply quit. Don't hassle the rest of Canadians just for one's grievances.
strike
Submitted by Anonymous in Halifax (not verified) on Mon, 06/20/2011 - 15:54.
Yes im a postal worker without a university degree...no i didnt go to college...so i guess that all im entitled to is a low paying job with no security...no benefits...no pension...WHAT...i have a sick leave plan...do i abuse it...NO...will i be paid a large amount of money for unused sick time...NO...do i pay for these benefits...YES...people im your average canadian working for a corp. that {thankfully} is unionized...but nonetheless im your neighbour...your volunteer fireman...YOUR KIDS SOCCER COACH...yes we are everywhere...we are not demons...we just want a contract that isnt thrown down our throats...that just leaves a bitter taste in everyones mouth...peace ...
I am not one who likes to
Submitted by Anonymous in Halifax (not verified) on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 07:18.
I am not one who likes to open my mouth without having facts so please let me know what the real issue of the strike is? I guess from my standpoint what I and many canadians see is that you guys have it pretty good. The requirement for being a postal carrier is a grade 10 education and the ability to speak english (I looked at the Canada post website under employment opportunities). You guys get paid more than daycare workers who so require some educatons, far more than Lpn's who require highschool and two years college education, etc. You get an amazing vacation package and sick leave and pension and all the perks. I guess what I don't understand is what r u striking for? I would think you should be pleased with a healthy wage and all those perks? I get nobody wants to be force fed an agreement but honestly and tell me if I'm wrong, but you guys seem like u have it pretty good. Years ago the nursing union out west agreed to cut backs to save jobs during hard economical times because they knew they were needed in order to provide the public with necessary quality healthcare...just saying...
Up the union!
Submitted by aaron2 (not verified) on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 00:54.
Shame on all of you denouncing the CUPW. Have any of your wives, girlfriends, or sisters taken a paid maternity leave recently? If they have, it's because CUPW fought for that right and won it in in the 1980's. If CUPW goes down, we all go down.
I stand 100% with the union.
A few facts
Submitted by Anonymous in Halifax (not verified) on Fri, 06/24/2011 - 19:03.
April 2011.... Postal Workers voted for strike.......................
Beginning June 2011..... Union decided to rotate strike......
Mid June 2011... Canada Post lock out.....
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Did Canada Post started this mess???
Did Canada Post suffered losses due to the rotating strike at random locations?
Did the Union had no choice but to go no strike instead of further talks with Canada Post or was the strike a gamble but lost?
Did Canada Post not offered a deal that is better than the current Bill C-6 offered by the goverment but got turn down by the UNION?
Was Canada Post's offer better than most of the average working Canadian is getting from their jobs?
Are small busineses in Canada being affected due to the Union's demand for a better contract?
Postal Workers are violated but the general public'sinterests are not due to the strike that lead to the lock out?
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Shouls I support the Postal Workers if I am the average Joe?
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