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OTTAWA — Rural and suburban postal workers across Canada celebrated Thursday after an arbitrator ordered Canada Post to pay them more — much more — as part of a long-awaited pay equity decision.

For a majority of the Crown agency’s mostly-female rural and suburban carriers, known as RSMCs, the ruling translates into a 25% pay hike, plus some increased benefits, Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton said.

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Not including benefits, the pay increase amounts to as much as $13,000 annually, retroactive to the beginning of 2016, said Canadian Union of Postal Workers representative Cathy Kennedy.

“We’re very happy with (the ruling),” said Kennedy, who was one of three members of the union’s pay equity committee.

Arbitrator Maureen Flynn issued the ruling to Canada Post and CUPW after the two sides failed to reach an agreement through mediated talks by an Aug. 30 deadline.

The union argued Canada Post’s 8,000 rural carriers — most of whom are women — were being paid substantially less than their majority-male urban co-workers. About 60% of RSMCs are women.