Christmas package deliveries by Canada Post could be delayed this year due to the upcoming suspension of unvaccinated federal employees. This is what the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) fears, which qualifies compulsory vaccination as “extreme”.
December is the busiest time of the year for Canada Post and the suspension of unvaccinated employees on November 26 could add to the burden of letter carriers. Neither Canada Post nor CUPW knows how many workers will be on forced leave next weekend, but there are likely to be thousands.
“If we compare with the general population, it would be about 10,000 people who would not be at work, if people maintain their decision not to be vaccinated,” said Nancy Beauchamp, director of CUPW in the Quebec region. Montreal. “So 10,000 fewer people to process, to deliver, of course we have fears about the impact that will have on services. “
Canada Post is currently trying to hire 4,200 employees specifically for the holiday season, but the union doubts that this will be enough. “We don’t have the numbers either [concernant ces embauches] », Observes Nancy Beauchamp.
A spokesperson for the crown corporation, Philipe Legault, predicts “a busy peak period as Canadians have become much more comfortable shopping online during the pandemic.” In a written communication, he urges consumers to check the deadlines for shipping packages and greeting cards.
CUPW has filed a “national grievance” against the mandatory vaccination and is now turning to arbitration to challenge the forced suspension of employees. A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday with the mediator. “We want the arbitrator to ask Canada Post to suspend its mandatory vaccination policy, because we are saying that there are frequent screening tests as an alternative. It’s just as safe as vaccination, ”explains Nancy Beauchamp.
“An extreme measure”
The union representative bluntly encourages vaccination, but maintains that the union is caught between the tree and the bark in front of a mandatory directive. “As much as we have people who do not want to be vaccinated, we also have people who do not want to work with people who do not want to be vaccinated”, illustrates Mr. Beauchamp who does not hesitate to talk about ‘an “extreme” measure which “polarizes”.
“Think about the work climate that currently has and will perhaps get even worse if ever Canada Post and the government maintain their position and ensure that people are going to pick themselves up without pay. People are going to have a workload while others are going to be gone home without pay. It will create frustration. Is it a climate that will be able to be reconciled at the end of the process? We don’t know, but we have a lot of fears. “
Canada Post follows federal government directive “urging” Crown corporations “to implement vaccination policies that reflect advertised requirements […] for the rest of the public service ”.
“As we move forward with the Mandatory Vaccination Practice, we understand that some employees will have different views,” notes the Canada Post representative. “According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, vaccination is the most effective tool, when combined with other safety measures, to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 . Our Mandatory Immunization Practice is therefore the logical continuation of our commitment to protect our staff and the communities we serve ”. Without going into details, the spokesperson mentions that “the Practice has been the subject of an important process of consultation and discussions with all our bargaining units, including the Union of Postal Workers”.
The right to be afraid
A little over a hundred Canada Post employees demonstrated on Sunday afternoon in front of the sorting center in the Saint-Laurent borough in Montreal. The government’s hard line appears to have hardened their positions.
“I’ve been working in this building for 32 years and next Friday, I will no longer have a salary to put food on the table,” To have to one demonstrator who does not want to reveal his name for fear of reprisals from his employer. “It’s not for them to know your medical information. […] They want to control, period ”.
Yanick, who wishes to keep his surname for the same reasons, deplores the intransigence of the rule. “We are no longer at risk now. Everyone wears the mask inside. There are windows between each table. There are plenty of reassuring measures. We do not need compulsory vaccination, especially since it will send employees on unpaid leave, ”he pleaded. To have to.
Claiming to be very aware of the situation, he says he receives many calls from colleagues who will never change their mind, even under threat. “These people are in complete distress, they don’t know what to do. And for them, it is completely unthinkable to be vaccinated. They have the right to be afraid! “