Kelowna tagged in Canada Post demonstration

Delivering Community Power Coalition to host 25 in Canada

Kelowna will be one of 25 cities across the country hosting a demonstration today in support of legislated-back-to-work postal workers.

The Kelowna demonstration starts at 9 a.m. at the Parkinson Recreation Centre.

The call for a day of action comes from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers-led Delivering Community Power Coalition, which includes some environmental groups, advocacy organizations, labour councils and other unions.

Many of the groups have pledged financial support and are some of the same organizations that sent their members to picket lines to support posties during six weeks of rotating strikes.

“A movement is forming,” said Delivering Community Power Coalition campaign co-ordinator James Hutt.

“In less than 48 hours, thousands of people signed up for Dec. 1 to support postal workers. We know that they are fighting for gender equality, climate action and better public services, and these issues clearly have a lot of support across the country.”

After six weeks of rotating strikes, the federal government legislated postal workers back to work on Wednesday.

Critics say the legislation violates the Canadian constitution and unjustly favours management.

“By passing this unconstitutional legislation, the Liberals are attacking all of us,” said Dru Jay, director of Friends of Public Service and one of the members of the Delivering Community Power Coalition.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is after an end to the high rate of injuries at work, equal pay for rural and suburban letter carriers, expanding services to include support for seniors and a public postal bank.

The other cities with demonstrations today are: Victoria, Vancouver, Chilliwack, Prince George, Yellowknife, Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Grand Prairie, Red Deer, Regina, Weyburn, The Pas, Winnipeg, Thompson, Timmins, London, Guelph, Durham, Toronto, Mississauga, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, Charlottetown and Halifax.

— The Okanagan Weekend