A political boxer’s nightmare: “The hits just keep on coming”
TORONTO – Like it or not, it is a one-two punch. It seems that there is no politically acceptable solution to the still on-going Postal workers
strike, at least until the government takes the “permissible measures” designed to compel Canada Post and its postal workers to reopen the
doors to service. The focus to date has been on the rights of the circa 55,000 postal workers in the country and less on the survivability
of the institution as an economically viable entity in the marketplace. In the interest of transparency, the Corriere Canadese receives approximately 80% of its invoiced, yearly, subscription remittances via mail in the months of November and early December. The
impasse is entering its fifth week.
On this page, readers can access a call for an EMERGENCY RALLY for a FAIR CONTRACT and to PROTECT WORKERS’ RIGHTS issued by the Labour Council for Toronto and York Region and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). It follows the federal Minister Steve MacKinnon’s invocation of Sec.107 of the Canadian Labour Code which would have the effect of sending everyone back to work [indefinitely], until further notice.
The rally is timed to coincide with the presentation of the “Fall Economic Update”, today, December 16, 2024, by the Minister of Finance,
Chrystia Freeland. In fact, supporters are being called to meet in front of her Toronto office, at 10:00AM. CUPW and the Labour Council accuse Canada Post of “refusing to bargain fairly or in good faith” and the “Liberal government … [of] attacking workers’ rights… [and
for having] sold them out” – that is the polite language. Co-incidentally, and ironically, a Media Advisory from an organization claiming to
represent Workers at the Fengate-owned Virgin Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, is making a “diplomatic mission’ to Toronto, for the
same day and time, [to meet] in front of the Fengate Asset Management’s headquarters and then on to the USA Consulate.
They allege that Fengate has hired “scabs and threatened permanent replacement of striking workers, in violation of international labour
standards”. They call on Employment and Social Development Canada to conduct an inquiry into what they allege to be “anti-union discrimination” and contrary to the International Labor Convention 87 (to which Canada is a signatory)”. Fengate claims to manage
assets in the amount of USD $7 billion (today’s valuation: CDN $9.8 billion). Fengate’s website suggests that Virgin Casino may have a value of $700 million USD, just under $1 Billion Canadian. Corriere attempted to reach out to Fengate via email without response as at time of going to press.
