Sunday, October 21, 2018
If last-minute deals cannot be reached this evening, rotating strikes will begin in four locations Monday morning
For Immediate Release
Ottawa – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) will begin rotating strikes at 12:01 am tomorrow in Victoria (British Columbia), Edmonton (Alberta), Windsor (Ontario), and 1:01 am in Halifax (Nova Scotia). All times listed in local time. The strikes will last for 24 hours with locations striking daily.
“Canada Post had the opportunity this weekend to stop any postal disruption on Monday, but instead, as they have for almost a year, they refused to talk about the issues that matter to our members,” says Mike Palecek, CUPW National President. “Our goal has always been a negotiated settlement but we will not agree to anything that doesn’t address health and safety, gender equality and good, full-time middle-class jobs.”
CUPW opted for rotating strikes to minimize the impact of a postal disruption on customers. Mail will still be delivered, although it could be delayed.
CUPW has been negotiating collective agreements with Canada Post for almost a year for the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) bargaining units.
Key demands for postal workers during this round of bargaining are job security, an end to forced overtime and overburdening, better health and safety measures, service expansion and equality for RSMCs.
“Job action will continue until Canada Post gets serious about bargaining. They should and can do better. Our members deserve better,” says Palecek.
For more information, please contact:
EN – Emilie Tobin, CUPW Communications, at 613-882-2742 or at [email protected]
FR – Lise-Lyne Gélineau, President, CUPW Montreal local, at 514-914-0350 or at [email protected]