Canada Post’s strike action to continue in Halifax-area until further notice
Posted Nov 14, 2018 10:42:00 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
With files from Canadian Press
Nova Scotia postal workers who walked off the job Monday night, will continue strike action in our area.
Rotating strikes resumed on Monday at 8 p.m. for members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville and Lake Charlotte to Hubbards.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers Nova Local 1st Vice President Mike Keefe says there will be no mail delivery “until further notice.”
Up to this time, rotating strikes have only lasted for 24 hours.
“The way we've been doing the strikes all along is to do rotating strikes so the mail does keeps moving, so that we inconvenience the public and businesses as little as possible,” he explained. “But we had to put a little more pressure on Canada Post because the negotiations have gone nowhere.”
Keefe said it will be up to the national union as to when workers in Halifax go back to work.
“There's been no general strike called so I foresee there will be an end to the rotating strikes here. When that happens? I'm not really sure, that will be up to the national union to decide.”
Canada Post has stopped giving guaranteed arrival times for items because of rotating strikes by members of CUPW.
The suspension comes as a fourth week of rotating walkouts at the post office gets underway.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says contract talks made little progress in recent weeks despite the presence of a special mediator whose mandate expired on the weekend.
Bargaining for contracts for two groups of employees (urban carriers and rural and suburban workers) has been ongoing for nearly a year.
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned his government could intervene if progress isn't made soon in the talks, but did not say what action might be taken.
