News

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers welcomed a Federal Court decision on 8 August to dismiss Guy Dufort, the Labor Minister's appointed arbitrator to oversee the imposition of back-to-work legislation and final offer selection. The court sided with the union in its complaint of apprehension of bias, citing Dufort's experience as an advocate for Canada Post Corporation in a previous case and his recent ties to the Conservative Party. Dufort's judicial dismissal is the second this year of an arbitrator; the first appointed arbitrator was dismissed for his lack of labor relations experience and bilingual abilities.

The union filed its complaint with the court after discovering that Dufort had worked as an advocate on behalf of Canada Post in a previous case involving pay equity issues. That information was not initially disclosed when Dufort was first added to a list of possible arbitrators. CUPW also cited the arbitrator's status and activity within the Conservative Party, noting that he ran for office several times on a Tory ticket and maintained close ties with high-ranking party officials.

Following the court decision, CUPW wrote the Labor Minister requesting a mediator be appointed to help the parties reach a negotiated agreement. With the difficulties in finding a fair arbitrator and the winner-takes-all nature of the final offer selection process, the union believes the arbitration process is deeply flawed. CUPW President Denis Lemelin said, "Forced settlements do not work. We want to be proactive and obtain a fair deal for our members."