The federal jobs minister is urging the union representing striking Canada Post workers to respond to the Crown corporation's latest offers.
Patty Hajdu told reporters on the way into the Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday that the two parties have a responsibility to find a way through the labour impasse nearly two years into negotiations.
"They all know the process. The process is that they negotiate until they get to a deal that everybody can live with," she said.
Hajdu did not respond directly to a question about whether the federal government would intervene to end the strike by using Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code as Ottawa did when postal workers walked off the job during last year's holiday season.
"My expectation is that they all see the cards that are on the table and that they find a deal," she said.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers took to the picket lines nearly two weeks ago after Ottawa announced sweeping changes to Canada Post's mandate that would allow the struggling postal service to overhaul its operations.
CUPW has denounced the changes, which include an end to daily mail delivery and the closure of some rural post offices, as government overstep in the bargaining process.
Canada Post has welcomed the minister's changes amid its stark financial challenges.
The employer tabled new proposals last week that kept a wage offer of a 13.56 per cent increase over four years but removed a signing bonus and introduced provisions related to expected job cuts.
The union called those offers a step back and accused Canada Post of not taking bargaining seriously.
"Our expectation is if the union is not satisfied with that offer, they should table a counter-offer," Hajdu said Wednesday, noting federal mediators will be on hand to help the parties reach a middle ground.
"That's how mediation works, that's how negotiations work."
CUPW is preparing for a meeting Wednesday evening with Hajdu's colleague Joel Lightbound, the minister in charge of Canada Post.
The union said the meeting will be its first in-person with Lightbound and will focus on Ottawa's mandate changes and Canada Post's latest proposals.
CUPW is asking the minister to roll back the changes he introduced nearly two weeks ago, claiming those measures would hurt the long-term future of the postal service.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
