The household of a Canada Submit worker with most cancers says they’re struggling to pay 1000’s of dollars a day for remedy after the Crown company canceled his medical advantages through the present labor motion.
Greater than 55,000 Canada Submit employees have been on strike since November 15, after a 12 months of failed negotiations to achieve a brand new collective settlement. Negotiations continued till earlier this week, when negotiations between Canada Submit and the Canadian Union of Postal Staff (CUPW) collapsed.
When workers left work, Canada Submit additionally canceled their advantages, impacting employees' capacity to pay for essential drugs. Marc Caron is one among them.
“I'm helpless. I'm very shocked,” mentioned Manon Gignac, Caron's spouse.
Caron was recognized with most cancers two years in the past. In Could he found that he had returned. He takes drugs that presently price about $2,000 a day.
“It's very costly for us,” she says, including that she doesn't perceive why her husband's employer ignores the individuals behind these selections.
“We consider it’s unacceptable to be on this scenario,” he mentioned. “That is very tough for us as a result of we all know that my husband's life is in peril.”
The household of a Canada Submit worker says they’re struggling to pay for his most cancers remedy after the Crown company minimize advantages when the strike started.
Canada Submit warned of layoffs and lack of earnings
Three days earlier than the strike, Canada Submit despatched a letter to workers warning of potential layoffs and modifications to “leaving provisions and advantages.”
“For employees who’re in determined straits with terminal sicknesses, that is unacceptable,” mentioned Jan Simpson, the union's nationwide president.
Simpson mentioned the union approached Canada Submit about reinstating advantages, however was instructed the Crown company wouldn’t change its determination.
“Canada Submit has the flexibility to… make some preparations to permit these employees to obtain the remedy they want. And I hope they do this as a result of nobody deserves to be within the scenario that these employees are in proper now.”
Either side (Canada Submit and the union) instructed CBC that they had provided completely different choices for the advantages to proceed, however all sides refused.
“We perceive the uncertainty for workers because the nationwide CUPW strike continues and we sympathize with this example,” Canada Submit mentioned, however added that expired collective agreements are now not in impact when employees go on strike.
“Sadly, the strike is extended and the uncertainty for our workers and Canadians continues. We hope to achieve new agreements quickly to assist everybody transfer ahead,” he mentioned.
We need to have time simply to be with household and never fear about cash.-Manon Gignac
Whereas it’s inside Canada Submit's proper to terminate advantages whereas workers are on strike, Gilles LeVasseur, a professor of enterprise and legislation on the College of Ottawa, mentioned it is usually a matter of optics.
“You must present that you simply additionally care about essentially the most susceptible. You must present that you’ll be able to step ahead and say to the residents of Canada: sure, we aren’t in [agreement] “With the present strike, sure, we need to resolve it.”
However the employer must also “have the ability to take sure lodging measures to offer minimal high quality companies to people,” he mentioned.
LeVasseur mentioned the expertise ought to function a lesson for unions to incorporate a assure of their collective bargaining agreements that advantages is not going to finish if workers go on strike.
Gignac mentioned one of many worst elements of that is that it's ruining their time collectively when they need to be coping with his sickness.
“I want we had time simply to be with household and never fear about cash,” he mentioned.