Bargaining for a new rural and suburban mail carrier (RSMC) contract is starting off slowly in 2012.
"They've had a few days of meetings. They've talked a little bit about housekeeping details and they're in a break right now until early January, so they have to agree on some more dates for bargaining. I would say that it's moving slowly," said Charlene Penner, Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Sunshine Coast Local 840 president.
"They haven't dealt with any of the big issues yet, the biggest issue being that we would like to reach parity with the urban members."
The former RSMC contract with Canada Post was in place for eight years and expired on Dec. 31, 2011.
With the end of that contract came the ability to bargain for higher wages (Penner said some rural mail carriers make as little as $7 an hour) and the ability to strike.
"We've had an eight-year contract where we have not been allowed to strike. Now we are, and whether we will or not will depend on what happens at the bargaining table," Penner said.
"The union wants, of course, to negotiate an agreement, but we'll see. Canada Post doesn't necessarily think exactly the same way."
Canada Post spokesperson John Hamilton said the corporation wants to come to an agreement with the union soon.
"We're hopeful for a positive resolution, and we hope for proposals that are fair and reasonable and hope to negotiate that toward reaching a settlement and continue to serve the people of Canada," Hamilton said.
Penner hopes the negotiations won't be hindered by third parties.
"I wouldn't like to see what happened with the urbans happen to us. I think that the government needs to keep its nose out of the negotiations with Canada Post and let us bargain and let us do what we need to do to get a collective agreement," she said.
The 7,000-member RSMC unit of the CUPW is demanding that working conditions, wages, benefits and health and safety protections be the same for all members.
