Bill passes to get postal workers back on the job

Saturday evening, the government managed to pass its bill legislating postal workers back to work. The House gave third reading to the bill shortly after 8 p.m. EDT and the bill passed by a vote of 158-113.The 58 hours nonstop session over the past few days saw MPs sleeping in their offices, taking shifts in Parliament, and delaying their summer vacations.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Labour Minister Lisa Raitt walked out of the chamber to make the announcement. CTV quoted Harper as saying, "We know what side the public was on and I think today members of Parliament on the other side finally started to get that message." Harper was reportedly not pleased with the filibuster calling the three days of debate an unnecessary delay.

The NDP have been fighting this bill tooth and nail calling it a dangerous precedent that eliminates collective bargaining. While NDP Leader Jack Layton made no comment, his deputy, Quebec MP Thomas Mulcair, reportedly said that the filibuster was "a shot across the bow of the Conservatives. It’s an indication of what’s to come for other public service workers who are unionized. But it’s also a signal from the Conservatives to all employers – in a union setting or otherwise – that it’s an open bar. They can start going after the acquired rights of their workers."

CUPW started the strike on June 3 by holding a series of rotating strikes across Canada. Canada Post locked all the employees out on June 14 saying the union actions had cost the corporation $100 million.

While the NDP relenting means the bill has passed, it still has to go to the Senate which has called for a sit at 11am, Sunday. It is expected that the formalities will be completed shortly so the country can expect mail service to resume in a few days. – This vote is the final item on the parliamentary agenda and the House of Commons adjourns for the summer.

The CBC is reporting that MPs have set a new record for nonstop debate, 58 hours. Apparently the old record was 27.5 hours set in 1989.

(CTV, Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail, CBC)

CUPW – June 25/2011 – 9pm

Media Release

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the Harper government has sent a message to all workers with its unjust and punitive bill legislating postal workers back to work.

“The government is clearly willing to side with employers to grind down wages and working conditions,” said CUPW National President Denis Lemelin. “Its decision to use back-to-work legislation in the Canada Post and Air Canada disputes was not neutral. The Conservatives have shown themselves to be very anti-worker after only two months of majority government.”

Lemelin said the government’s assertion that its legislation was necessary to protect the economy is illogical. He said postal workers had offered to return to work. “The government has attacked our right to freely negotiate the conditions we work under,” said Lemelin. “It appears that only markets and employers will have freedoms in this country.”

“The union’s struggle for safe work, decent jobs and pensions will continue in spite of this unjust and punitive bill. Fortunately, the government can’t legislate away our determination to fight for our rights,” said Lemelin.

Lemelin added that postal workers are very grateful for the support they received from people all across the country and opposition Members of Parliament, especially members of the New Democratic Party (NDP) who eloquently defended free collective bargaining for 58 hours straight. He said the NDP’s filibuster was successful in provoking a resumption of negotiations between CUPW and Canada Post over the last few days, but that the negotiations had ultimately failed.

“Canada Post was uncompromising from the moment Harper’s government introduced back-to-work legislation,” said Lemelin.

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