CUPW Pres Mike Palecek & James Hutt talk strikes & Delivering Community Power

Today on the show, Mike Palecek, the president for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. On Monday, October 22, CUPW commenced rotating 24 hour strikes across the country.

CUPW has been at the bargaining table since November 2017. Michael Keefe writes at RankandFile.ca:

“On September 7, after over 9 months of negotiations, Canada Post made its first offer to the union, which was full of rollbacks. The union countered their offer on September 14. Canada Post didn’t respond to the counter offer for almost 4 weeks. Their offer removed the rollbacks and made some movement on minor issues, but made no improvements to the major issues – health and safety, gender equality, work-life balance and preserving good, full time jobs. So, after no further progress, the union gave notice on Tuesday October 16 that it would start rotating strikes beginning on October 22.”

On the Prairies, Edmonton was one of the first cities to go on strike Monday October 22 at 12:01 am , Calgary went on strike at 6 PM Wednesday, October 24 and Red Deer followed at 6 AM October 25.

CUPW workers are fighting for pay equity between urban and rural workers, better health and safety measures including an end to forced overtime and overburdening, job security,
On October 24 the a mediator appointed by the federal government arrived in Ottawa to help determine procedures for the next round of negotiations.

We’ll also hear from James Hutt, who is the national coordinator for CUPW’s Delivering Community Power campaign. James was in Regina this weekend at the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour conference, as well as the Just Transitions summit organized by SaskForward, to talk about the campaign and how it can be a model for other unions to be more proactive on environmental and climate change issues.

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CUPW

rankandfile.ca/why-were-striking-at-canada-post/

www.deliveringcommunitypower.ca/

saskforward.ca/energy-transition/

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Saskatchewan

leaderpost.com/news/local-news/i…ll-open-new-doors

thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatchew…of-negotiations

thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news…s-70m-injection

Rfradio-prairie – Prison-justice-meara-conway-on-cuts-to-sask-legal-aid-uws-katharina-maier-on-prison-labour

– Alberta-

albertapolitics.ca/2018/10/rachel-…-war-on-unions/

-Greyhound-
www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/greyho…8549441.html