Canada Post employees may file strike-notice Friday

CALGARY – The union representing Canada Post employees says it will file a 72-hour strike notice on Friday.

“After months of talks, it’s time to draw our line in the sand,” said Bev Ray, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) in Edmonton.

“We have now reached the point where we may have to give notice that in 72 hours, we will be forced to strike if Canada Post does not drop its rollbacks and address some of our demands.”

Ray says the proposed rollbacks from Canada Post are attacks on working-class people being able to earn a “living wage” and on the rights of Canadians to have a public postal service that reflects and response to the needs of their communities.

“Instead of focusing on service, Canada Post is driven solely by profits,” says Ray.

CUPW will give an update on its talks with Canada Post late Friday morning.

About 48,000 mail carriers and inside postal workers would walk of the job if a deal cannot be reached.

Ray says workers want a number of issues addressed including staffing problems, forced overtime, problems with delivery methods and health and safety issues.

They also oppose salary reductions for new employees. The company wants to reduce labour costs by reducing the salary of new employees from $24 an hour to $17.50, according to the union.

If there is a strike, mail and parcels will not be delivered. However, Canada Post has an agreement with the union to continue delivering unemployment and welfare cheques, pensions and other social-assistance cheques.

The last postal strike occurred in 1997.