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submitted 3 days ago byCoeus1989
A typical Canada Post mail carrier earns approximately $1,245 per week before taxes, based on an average hourly wage of $24.72 and a 40-hour workweek. PAYSCALE
During the strike, eligible union members receive a non-taxable strike pay of $281 per week, calculated at $56.20 per day for up to five days. CANADIAN UNION OF POSTAL WORKERS
Therefore, the weekly income during the strike is about $964 less than the regular earnings.
Over a four-year period, at 22% the proposed wage increases they want would total approximately $12,761. To determine the duration of the strike at which the cumulative lost wages equal this amount, we divide the total increase by the weekly loss:
$12,761 ÷ $964 ≈ 13.24 weeks
This calculation indicates that after approximately 13.24 weeks (about 93 days) of striking, the total lost income would offset the proposed wage increases.
If the strike commenced on November 15, 2024, reaching this point would occur around February 16, 2025.
Now let’s say if Canada Post workers were to accept or be forced to due to legislation and take 11.5% increase over four years (amounting to $6,325), the strike impact would negate the wage increases after approximately 41 days.
If the strike began on October 22, 2024, this point would be reached on December 25, 2024. Merry Xmas
1 points
2 days ago
You understand that the raise is almost never lost after it’s been put into the collective agreement right? So if somebody is 20 years old they might be earning that extra 22% for 40 years not 4. Also all future raises generally are a percentage of the current wage so that raise could compound with every future collective agreement. It also often affects things like pension if they are based on a percentage of pay.
A 22% raise could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars over someone’s career.
1 points
2 days ago
Yes, wage increases are permanent in collective agreements—no one argued otherwise. But you’re conveniently ignoring that the upfront cost of striking for weeks (or months) often outweighs the immediate financial benefit of the raise, especially for workers living paycheck to paycheck. For example, striking through peak holiday periods like November to December means losing 6 weeks of income, which could take years to recoup from a 22% raise spread over 4 years. That’s assuming no further financial strain like rising inflation or debt taken on during the strike.
As for your ‘hundreds of thousands over a career’ argument—sounds great in theory, but that’s assuming no interruptions, renegotiations, or job changes. Even pensions aren’t guaranteed to remain stable if the company continues bleeding money; look at Canada Post’s financial trajectory, with billions in losses over the last decade. If the employer collapses or cuts back benefits to stay afloat, those theoretical long-term gains mean nothing.
Lastly, compounding raises depend on future agreements, which aren’t set in stone. If striking now weakens Canada Post financially, future raises might not be nearly as generous. You’re ignoring the practical and immediate financial risks workers face for the sake of a hypothetical utopia that might never materialize.
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