Introduction

I was surprised to read an article from Kiri Vadivelu (December 31, 2024, “No to Legislative Strikebreaking! Victory to Postal Workers!”) in The Red Review, a “Socialist Action journal.” [Socialist Action is an allegedly socialist organization]. Vadivelu was a candidate for mayor in the last municipal elections in Toronto–and I voted for him since he seemed to express some of the views that I share.

Idealization of the Social-Democratic or Social-Reformist Slogan “Fair Wages”

For this reason, I was surprised to read his article on the recent postal workers strike in Canada by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the federal government’s forcing the workers back to work. I certainly agree that such a move by the federal government should be criticized, but this hardly justifies Vadivelu’s implicit idealization of  his use of the social-democratic slogan “fair wages”:

By weakening CUPW, Ettinger [CEO of Canada Post] is attacking the very bench  mark CUPW sets for fair wages in the entire delivery sector. This is nothing short of class warfare….

Postal workers set the benchmark for fair wages and rights in this industry. Attacking our union isn’t just an attack on CUPW—it’s an attack on every logistics worker in Canada.

Historically, CUPW was a militant union. As a consequence of Vadivelu’s use of this trade-union cliche, I decided to see whether CUPW used this social-reformist or social-democratic cliche as well (or its equivalent, such as “fair compensation”). Indeed, it does. Such cliches need to be persistently criticized by socialists. 

What are fair wages? 

In the collective agreement for Urban Postal Workers, on page 1, we read:

ARTICLE 2
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS
2.01 Rights
It is recognized that the Corporation exercises rights and responsibilities as management, which are subject to the terms of this collective agreement.

That short clause includes such management rights as hiring, firing, disciplining and directing the work of postal workers–subject to the limits of the collective agreement and relevant legislation.  Such rights hardly are “fair” since they permit management to control workers’ lives in various ways and, ultimately, to treat them as means for purposes undefined by the workers themselves (see The Money Circuit of Capital and Employers as Dictators, Part One). How can wages in any way compensate for the loss of freedom of postal workers (and workers who work for employers in general)? Perhaps some “leftist” can explain it. More likely, though, the so-called left will remain silent about the issue.

My argument from another post also applies to the issue of “fair wages”:

As shown in the last post, unions persistently claim that, through collective bargaining and a collective agreement, there can arise somehow (by magic?) “a fair and equitable collective agreement.” There can be no such thing as long as there exists a market for workers, where human beings are treated as things and as means for purposes over which they have little control. To claim otherwise is to bullshit workers–and workers deserve much better than this.

The Rhetoric of CUPW: Fair Wages

1. From December 21, 2023 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/canada-post%E2%80%99s-financial-perspective):

Canada Post’s Financial Perspective

Bargaining for What we Deserve

All this may raise concerns about job quality and job security, but it is crucial for us to fight for fair compensation. In 2022, Canada Post generated roughly $80 in revenue for every hour worked by CUPW members.

To ensure the workers don’t pay the price for this uncertainty, our focus needs to be on offering an expanded range of services, including financial services.

That’s the way to better stability and secure jobs.

Please stay informed and support our negotiating committee, which is working hard for fair wages and job security for all.

2. From April 29, 2022 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/may-day-%E2%80%93-international-workers%E2%80%99-day):

May Day – International Workers’ Day

At the end of the Second World War, and the beginning of the Cold War, anti-communist sentiment hampered May Day events. But they made a comeback in the 1970s, and have gained in significance during decades of neoliberalism, as public services have been cut, privatized, and decimated, as salaries stagnate while the cost-of-living rises, and as workers continue to fight for decent work, fair wages, respect, and dignity.

3. From Thursday June 11 2020 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/collective-agreements-decisions-are):

Legislation is No Substitute for Bargaining

The decisions that affect our work and our future should not have been referred to an arbitrator in the first place. Workers have the right to free and fair collective bargaining, and when our right is denied, it robs us of our ability to negotiate solutions to the problems we face at the workplace.

Our main issues – fair wages, job security, improved health and safety, proper staffing, pay for all hours worked, work/life balance – should never have been decided by an arbitrator. They should have been resolved at the bargaining table in 2018. That is our right! The government passed an unconstitutional law to send us back to work, assuring us and the public that the arbitrated award would be ready in 90 days. That 90 days turned into 562 days. That is unacceptable.

4. From Friday May 17 2019 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/historic-election-cupw-postal-workers-elect-first-female-black-president):

Historic Election at CUPW: Postal Workers Elect First Female Black President…

She promises to continue to fight against back-to-work legislation and get Canada Post back to the negotiating table. “Our members need a new contract. This arbitration has gone on for far too long. Our members need safe working conditions, fair wages and equality for all.” [The implication is that such aims can be achieved through collective bargaining.]

5. From May 7, 2019 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/foodora-couriers-work-unionize-cupw): 

Foodora Couriers Work to Unionize with CUPW

Bicycle and car couriers in the Toronto area working for Foodora, an app-based food delivery company, have been working with our organizers in a campaign to join CUPW. The couriers are fighting for better health and safety protections, fair compensation for they work they perform, and for the right to join a union. 

6. From November 28, 2018 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/preparing-mediationarbitration): 

Preparing for Mediation/Arbitration

Now that the Liberal Government has imposed back to work legislation, your negotiating committee must prepare for the mediation process. Your negotiating committee is determined to obtain agreements prior to the binding arbitration process, but only if the issues relating to your health and safety, over-burdening, equality for all postal workers, fair wage increases that keep up with inflation, staffing and improving your work-life balance are achieved.

7. From November 27 2018 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/statement-cupw-president-mike-palecek-%E2%80%93-back-work-legislation-next-steps):

Statement from CUPW President Mike Palecek – Back to Work Legislation Next Steps

After 37 days of rotating strikes, unconstitutional legislation has removed the right to strike for postal workers. Legal strike action ends at noon today, but the struggle is not over. You cannot legislate labour peace.  We are now moving to a different phase of the struggle. We are asking members to return to their regularly scheduled shifts as of 12:00 pm ET and await further instructions.

In the coming days, we will be calling on our allies and membership for a campaign of mobilizations, demonstrations and non-violent civil disobedience. All options remain on the table to achieve negotiated collective agreements that address health and safety, equitable treatment, fair wages and working conditions, and the democratic right to free collective bargaining.

8. From November 13,2018 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/postal-strike-returns-toronto-0): 

Postal Strike Returns to Toronto

Nearly 10,000 Postal Workers on the Picket Lines

Ottawa – Rotating strikes returned to Toronto this morning as members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) from the Toronto local and the York Distribution Centre (part of the Scarborough local), walked of the job at 6 am (ET).  They joined members from the Nova local in Nova Scotia, who walked off the job yesterday at 8 pm (AT).

On Monday, the special mediator’s mandate ended with the parties still far apart on many key issues.

“In spite of the continued assistance of the mediator over the weekend, Canada Post still refuses to address our major issues of health and safety, staffing, over-burdening, job security, a reduction in precarious employment, fair wages for all and a better work-life balance,” says Mike Palecek, CUPW National President. 

9. . From November 6, 2018, CUPW Negotiations Update 2017-2018 #10,   (https://www.servicepostalpublic.ca/en/meeting-government):

Our Message to Canada Post Hasn’t Changed

Our message to Canada Post is clear; we want to negotiate fair collective agreements that address our concerns around health and safety, the increase in temporary and precarious jobs, overburdening, job security, inadequate staffing, equality and fair wages for all. Canada Post must come to the table with solutions to our concerns.

10. From September 16, 2014 (https://www.cupw.ca/en/cupw-members-welcome-ndp%E2%80%99s-minimum-wage-raise-proposal): 

CUPW Members Welcome NDP’s Minimum Wage Raise Proposal

OTTAWA – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is applauding the NDP proposal to raise the minimum federal wage to $15 an hour. The union says the proposal is good news for CUPW members working on contract for Canada Post via hiring agencies for much lower wages.

“A $15/hour minimum wage would really help our private sector members who work for Adecco across the country,” said Cathy Kennedy, CUPW negotiator.

The CUPW is currently bargaining for a first collective agreement for Adecco workers in the Canada Customs section of postal processing plants in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

The company’s initial offer of a small increase over 3 years means that these workers would be earning an hourly wage of only $11.66 by 2017.

‘We believe that a job in Canada should lift workers out of poverty, not keep them there. These workers are looking for a fair wage, which is something that every Canadian worker should have,” said Kennedy.

Conclusion

CUPW uses the cliche “fair wages” or its equivalent, likely to “sell” certain collective-bargaining proposals to union members as well as to criticize the employer’s intransigence if it refuses to meet the bargaining team’s target wage. Nowhere does CUPW specify what it means by “fair wages” or how fair wages can be fair in the context of the domination of the class power of employers.