Negotiations between DHL Express and Unifor, which represents about 2,500 unionized employees in Canada, on a collective bargaining agreement are scheduled to resume Sunday in Toronto against the backdrop of a looming strike action.
DHL Express Canada workers earlier this month authorized union leaders to initiate a work stoppage on June 8 in an effort to pressure the company to meet its demands after more than six months of talks, and forestall a potential lockout on that date. Unifor said DHL Express has yet to give a formal response to more than half of its demands, especially regarding wages.
One-third of Unifor’s members work as owner-operators of trucks, one-third work in clerical positions, and the rest work in warehouses and as company drivers.
Unifor’s bargaining priorities include improved working conditions, no subcontracting, how owner-operators are paid for deliveries, and substantial wage increases that workers say they need to cope with rising inflation in Canada.
Unifor has accused DHL of imposing new operating rules to reduce delivery costs, including a new payment system for owner-operators it says will reduce pay for some drivers, forcing some workers to drive more than 62 miles per day without compensation and restricting vacation and breaks. It also has criticized management for increasing automation and surveillance.
DHL Express Canada is also seeking to decrease work-from-home options and imposing other work conditions, according to Unifor.
It says relations with DHL Express are at a 20-year low point and alleges a record number of grievances are in arbitration related to dirty washrooms, seniority violations, rerouting, harassment, subcontracting and terminations over union involvement.
In a May 13 note to members on its website, Unifor accused DHL of meeting with union members to disseminate misinformation about bargaining and divide the union.
“DHL Express Canada is committed to negotiating with Unifor in good faith to renew our collective bargaining agreement, prioritizing the well-being of our employees. As an essential business, our main priority is to achieve a fair, sustainable deal, and reasonable terms for our employees, who deliver outstanding service for our valued customers on a daily basis. We remain committed to maintaining a safe, secure working environment for all our employees,” the company said in a statement to FreightWaves.
A potential strike by DHL delivery workers in Canada comes amid fraught labor talks between Canada Post and its employees, who are refusing to work overtime and could escalate their tactics up to rotating regional strikes or a full national strike.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
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