Mr. Speaker, Sunday night, I prepared a 20-minute speech, but I will not use more than the five minutes allowed.
It is true that the government had appointed a special mediator and that after one week, the parties were at an impasse.
In Abitibi—Témiscamingue, mail delivery is an essential public service without which the economy cannot function properly. The time had come to make a decision. The letter carriers went on strike on November 19 after the breakdown of negotiations on wages, job security and changes to letter carriers' routes.
Since Monday, the best mediator in Canada, Mr. Edmondson, has attempted to find some common ground between the Canada Post Corporation and its unionized workers. According to the mediator, there was not enough flexibility on either side to arrive at an agreement. Since there was no such agreement, the strike is getting harder on ordinary citizens and especially on businesses which depend on mail delivery and on those workers whose jobs are directly linked to the proper functioning of this service.
This strike is also hurting community associations considerably. Despite the many alternative solutions that have been developed over the years, only the public postal network can deliver mail in every part of Canada at a reasonable cost. Even in Abitibi, in the northern part of my riding, the mail is delivered with efficiency.
We know that it is not easy at this time to introduce special legislation in Parliament, but during the strike and before it started, the government was determined to let the parties arrive at a negotiated settlement. I have always considered that a collective agreement would be the best solution for postal employees, for Canada Post customers and for all Canadians. The federal government gave Canada Post and the union ample opportunity to arrive at an agreement, but things always ended in deadlock. Now we have before us a special law.
During the strike, there is one thing that I greatly appreciated on the part of the Government of Canada, and that is that it did not use strikebreakers. Strikebreakers were used last time and it was rather difficult in all sectors in Quebec. We all know that the province of Quebec has special legislation prohibiting the use of strikebreakers, and labour relations are no worse off because of it.
Last Friday, I was on the picket line in my riding in Val-d'Or and Amos. I met unionized workers. When questioned, they all say they support the national union. It is the national union that runs things, even if we look at the collective agreement, which I have in my possession. I will put it on my desk because, as my adversaries will tell me, I am not allowed to have props. The agreement is 541 pages long. Find me a union in Abitibi that has an agreement 541 pages long. There may be only two in Canada: at the CBC and at Canada Post.
We all know that Canada Post employees work very hard. We are trying to come up with an agreement, a solution for the well-being of our employees. One thing the strikers did very well was deliver the provincial, municipal and federal pension cheques. However, things are at an impasse at the moment. Many families have yet to receive their cheques. There are delivery delays at the distribution centres. But, we are trying our level best to reach an agreement to put an end to it. The only way to do so is to introduce this bill, because businesses in Abitibi—Témiscamingue have been badly hurt by the strike.
The Canada Post Corporation wants to redesign the daily route of each letter carrier in order to deliver more mail with fewer employees. When I travelled around the big riding of Abitibi, a number of people said that this aim was legitimate. We know that the major issue at the moment is redefining the issue of mail and letter carriers' routes.
From the union, the reaction was very different. It is calling for more permanent positions to give job security to the greatest number of union members. With new technologies like the Internet and e-mail, we know what large banks are doing in Canada and Quebec. We know what cities, telephone companies and businesses are doing. Even hospitals have experienced, on the union side, lots of cuts. Unionized workers do have a right to put pressure on to improve their situation, but we have reached a point where solutions need to be sought and the only solution is to enact special back-to-work legislation.
I am asking only one thing. We know that we have good postal workers in Abitibi. They meet many seniors on their run. I hope that, after this bill is passed and work has resumed, there will be good relations, especially with the good collective agreement they already have. Improvements are required in certain areas. I realize there is possibility jobs may be cut here and there across Canada, but I hope there will be no cuts in my riding because we need these people to deliver our mail.
The public wants to know what is what. In 1996, a commission was set up. In his report, Commissioner Radwanski said savings of between $100 million and $200 million a year could be made just by reviewing the 541-page collective agreement, without imposing privatization or disproportionate pay cuts on the workers.
The main issue is not excessively high rates of pay. Payment for time not worked remains a major cost to the corporation. For example, letter carriers get paid at a higher rate for hours worked in excess of their normal week, such as in December, but are paid for 40 hours in the summer, even if their days are shorter. The public may not be aware of these considerations.
Canada Post pays its letter carriers for transportation and time required to have lunch at their home base. I could mention several other examples, such as the replacement of an employee who is not at work. In order to become efficient, the Canada Post Corporation wants to be able to change the itinerary of its letter carriers and find internal solutions. The flexibility required by Canada Post means there will be fewer jobs and perhaps fewer contributions paid to the union. The union estimates that 4,000 of its current 45,000 members will lose their job.
We understand why the union is fighting hard to oppose the demands made by Canada Post. As a former union president, I am aware of what is at stake. I hope that, when they go back to work, these employees will maintain good relations with the public and with Canada Post.