Canadian and U.S. postal workers demand a just contract

Roughly 55,000 Canadian postal workers went on strike on Nov. 15.  The Canada Post Corporation, the country’s main postal operator, has cut off disability benefits to members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, and all collective bargaining agreements have been canceled. The union is demanding a 23% wage increase, but management is offering only 12% over four years.

Meanwhile, the quarterly Postal Board of Governors [which oversees the U.S. Postal Service] meeting took place in Washington, D.C., on Nov.14. About 20 retired and active postal workers testified, saying that workers have the right to speak out about the utter failure of Postmaster Louis DeJoy’s Ten Year Plan, which has been causing serious mail delays. Some testified that postal workers deserve higher wages for their labor.

Postal workers all over the U.S. are holding outdoor and indoor meetings to expose management’s actions. In Portland, Oregon, a rank-and-file caucus packed a meeting with over 100 letter carriers and voted to endorse a “No” vote on the contract being negotiated. U.S. Postal Service management is only offering the members of the National Association of Letter Carriers insulting wage increases of only 1.3% in each year of the agreement.

Joe Hirsch is a retired postal worker.