SpotlightNovember2018

NO DEAL IN SITE FOR MAIL STRIKE

Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have their negotiators at the bargaining table, but it is looking more likely the Federal government is going to end this strike with the passage of Bill C-89.

This strike has dealt a hard blow to small businesses in Canada as idle Canada Post trucks sit in the parking lots of postal facilities all across Canada as rotating strikes came into effect.

The Trudeau government is now saying enough is enough as the two sides cannot come to an agreement on pay increases and job security, guaranteed hours for its 8,000 rural and suburban carriers, and equality for those workers with the cor- poration’s 42,000 urban employee.

The former Conservative government forced an end to a lockout of postal workers during a 2011 dispute by enacting back-to-work legislation, which was later declared by a court to be unconstitutional.

But the Liberal government’s bill is “different,” Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said shortly after the legislation was tabled in the Commons, in that it does not impose immediate outcomes affecting postal contracts.

The legislation would give a mediator-arbitrator appointed by the government 90 days to try and reach contract settle- ments. Failing that, a settlement could be imposed either through a decision from the arbitrator or by choosing from one of the final proposals put forward by Canada Post or CUPW.

CUPW National President, Mike Palecek said the union would decide this week how to fight the back-to-work bill once it becomes law, adding “all options” were on the table.

GROWING THE EMPIRE Empire Co. Ltd, the parent company of grocery giants Sobeys, FreshCo, Foodland, IGA and Price Chopper has reached a deal to acquire food retailer Farm Boy for $800 million. This will give the grocery giant 26 Farm Boy locations in Ontario as it tries to expand its reach in province and speed up its growth in markets like Toronto and southwestern Ontario, with new sites and the conversion of some existing Sobeys locations. The deal will see Farm Boy set up as a separate company and continue to be led by founder and co-CEO, Jean-Louis Bellemare and Jeff York, co-CEO. Empire has also said that Farm Boy products will also be added to Sobeys’ Ocado-based e-commerce business, an online grocery platform to launch in 2020 in the Greater Toronto Area.

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NOVEMBER 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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