Rotating Canada Post strikes hit Metro Vancouver today

Canada Post workers are beginning their rotating strikes in Metro Vancouver today.

Members of the Vancouver local — which includes Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver and West Vancouver — of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) walked off the job at 9 am PT this morning.

They join their Ontario and New Brunswick colleagues on the picket lines on the fifth day of the rotating postal strikes.

“Postal workers take great pride in their job, and they would much rather be working than on the picket line today, but Canada Post has left us no choice,” says Mike Palecek, CUPW National President, in a release.

“While we continue to strike, it doesn’t mean we aren’t still negotiating. We have never left the bargaining table, and we will continue to negotiate with Canada Post until our major issues – health and safety, equality for all workers, and full-time jobs– are addressed.”

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.

During the rotating strike, Canada Post continues to operate across Canada and is still accepting and delivering mail and parcels in all other locations.

The strike begins after negotiators failed to reach a new contract agreement before the union’s Monday strike deadline for the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) bargaining units.

“Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have been unable to reach new collective agreements and the union has commenced legal strike actions,” said Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour in a statement.

Key demands for postal workers during bargaining include:

• Job security
• End to forced overtime and overburdening
• Better health and safety measures
• Service expansion
• Equality for RSMCs

With files from Ainsley Smith. 

See also

• Canada Post workers begin rotating strikes across the country
• Canada Post workers issue strike notice, could start job action next week
• Canada Post workers warn strike could happen this month