THUNDER BAY — The head of the union representing striking local postal workers says it’s unfortunate they’ve walked off the job.
But after a year of failed negotiations, Leo Favreau said they felt they had no choice.
Favreau, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Local 620, on Friday said about 260 workers throughout Thunder Bay and the region are affected by the national strike. Workers include plant employees, sorters and letter carriers
“We basically find ourselves, after a year of negotiation, no further ahead than we were a year ago. It’s just going nowhere,” Favreau said.
“I felt as long as they were still talking, we were doing fine. I was really heartbroken to find out they broke off talks yesterday. I still had hopes that we were going to settle all along.”
With the Christmas holidays rapidly approaching, Favreau said it’s a tough time of year to be on the picket line, both for the striking workers and their customers, who often rely on Canada Post for package delivery and other holiday mail.
Canada Post, in a statement issued on Friday, said its operations have shut down and customers should expect delays while the strike continues. Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered, and some post offices will be closed. No new items will be accepted until the labour dispute is resolved.
Nationally, more than 55,000 workers are off the job. The 72-hour strike notice was issued on Tuesday, and impacts both the rural suburban mail carriers and urban operations bargaining unit.
Favreau is hopeful by walking off the job on Nov. 15, the message will be delivered to Canada Post loud and clear.
“It would be very nice if Canada Post would come to the table and negotiate fairly. They really haven’t budged on any issue for over a year. That’s not negotiating,” Favreau said.
“A living wage would be nice. We have a lot of health and safety concerns with all the changes they’re making inside. A lot of people are getting hurt because of the stuff that they’re doing. We don’t want them touching our pension that we’ve worked so hard to keep.”
Benefits are also a concern, he added.
Across the board, workers are looking for 10 paid medical days, in addition to seven paid personal days, improved protection against technological change and against harassment, and no contraction out. The RSMC bargaining unit wants corporate vehicles for all carriers, coverage of all absences, paid meal and rest period rights and involvement in service expansion projects.
Urban operations are looking for time to prepare and deliver neighbourhood mail, improved rights for temporary employees, and improved staffing provisions.
On Day 1, Favreau said the mood on the picket line remains upbeat.
“Today it’s pretty cheerful. Everybody is still having fun. We’ll let the weekend soak in and we’ll see what happens after that. We’re trying to stay positive. We realize we’re not up against the staff here, it’s a national issue. It’s the higher-ups that have put us in this position,” he said, adding he’s hopeful a deal can get done quickly so postal workers can get back on the job, particularly important as the holiday season rapidly approaches.
