Canada Post rotating strike to reach Hamilton Friday night
Posted Jun 3, 2011 12:00:20 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Canada Post workers in Hamilton will soon be walking the picket lines, joining their colleagues in Winnipeg who went on strike at midnight Thursday, after the postal union failed to reach a deal with the crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says their next round of rotating strikes will begin in Hamilton at 11:45 p.m. EDT Friday night. The Hamilton portion of the strike is expected to last 48 hours.
Postal workers in Winnipeg have been striking since Thursday night, and their strike rotation is expected to end tonight after 24 hours off the job.
While mail service in the Greater Toronto Area has remained unaffected so far, Winnipeg and Hamilton are only the first cities in a series of planned rotating strikes.
The union has given little indication as to what city might be next, which union member Lisa Peterson says is all part of their strategy.
“It often does bring a little more attention on our discussions, and brings that back to the negotiations with there being an uncertainty of what will happen next,” Peterson said.
Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) are striking because contractual talks with Canada Post officials have reached a stalemate in recent weeks.
Some of the major issues still dividing the sides include wages and the potential for job cuts. Adding stress to the negotiations is the future of Canada Post itself. CUPW members and officials from the postal service are still trying to figure out where the future of postal service stands with the growing importance of electronic mailing.
Canada Post is trying to reduce costs in response to the flood of customers who have moved to online banking, email, text messaging and Facebook. The number of letters handled by the crown corporation has dropped 17 per cent over the past five years, likely in response to the move to electronic communication.
“Already many people have moved, for example, their bill paying online, and moved away from traditional paper bills,” said Michael Mulvey, a marketing professor at the University of Ottawa. “This is just going to create an extra incentive for them to move things online.”
While the mailing figures are down, the CUPW is rejecting any talk of job cuts for its members. Meanwhile, Canada Post says the postal workers are out of touch with their wage demands.
It’s likely the shutdown of the mail service will not have a significant effect on everyone immediately, however, a lengthy work stoppage could affect the paying of bills. Small business operators who are reliant on postal service would likely be the hardest hit.
A number of charities are also worried about the possibility of a strike, as many of them receive donations by mail.
Union members are expected to meet with Canada Post officials on Friday to continue discussions.
