Downward presure on wages is never a good thing, for anyone.
What is your job? Bet you someone does it in China for $1/week. So I guess that is what you are worth?
Don't take that the wrong way. For all I know you are a rocket scientist, and my statement still applies.
I'm just saying that they aren't subject to regular market influences like other companies because it's federal. It's not really a competitive field, unless you count courier services as competition. Mail is steadily declining, yet they don’t want layoffs or any sort of concession. When demand decreases in a free market, generally speaking you should be decreasing the cost of your service. This doesn’t happen. In fact, prices are likely to go up, which is counterintuitive.
I'm not even suggesting they take a pay cut. But that's not even why they are up in arms. It has to do with their pension and sick time. They don't want a short term disability program, and they want to keep the defined benefit pension plan.
STD is becoming very common place in the workplace, and defined benefit plans are pretty slick provided you don’t job hop a lot. Canada Post is trying to reduce operating costs but the Union won’t yield. The only other options are layoffs, reduction of work hours (delivery 3 days a week anyone?), or a price hike. And as I said, a price hike when sales are down is counterintuitive in a free market.
And in any sort of labor dispute you inevitably get people talking about the fat cats up at the top. I’m not privy to their pay scales or their corporate structure so I can’t really pass comment. No doubt there is probably a lot of room for improvement there. Generally speaking, bureaucratic companies like CP tend to be top heavy, for sure.