If deals cannot be reached over the weekend, service will be disrupted as of next Monday

For Immediate Release

Ottawa – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) today gave notices to Canada Post that job action will begin next week if agreements cannot be reached for the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) bargaining units.

If job action is necessary, rotating strikes will begin at 12:01 am, Monday, October 22. Locations have yet to be determined.

“Our members gave us a clear mandate to take job action if Canada Post refused to address our major issues – health and safety, gender equality and preserving full-time, middle class jobs,” says Mike Palecek, CUPW National President. “Our goal is still negotiated settlements with no postal disruption. This week is Canada Post’s chance to make that happen.”

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.

The working conditions of postal workers have deteriorated over the last decade in part because Canada Post has failed to properly address the massive increase in parcel volumes and the burden it has placed on members.

Canada Post also needs to address workplace injuries, which over the last two years, have increased by 43 percent. Today, the disabling injury rate for a letter carrier is eight times the average of the rest of the federal sector, which includes longshoring, mining, road transport and railways.

“A Crown Corporation should do better and can do better. Our members deserve better,” says Palecek.

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For more information, please contact:

EN - Emilie Tobin, CUPW Communications, at 613-882-2742 or at media@cupw-sttp.org

FR – Lise-Lyne Gélineau, President, CUPW Montreal local, at 514-914-0350 or at lise-lyne.gelineau@sttpmtl.com