Postal workers hold off job action

Union threatened to start OT ban in Alberta, N.W.T. if no deal reached

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says its plan to begin a rolling overtime ban at midnight Sunday has been placed on hold for 24 hours.

CUPW issued a statement late Sunday night that it was delaying any possible job action in a “last ditch effort” to reach a negotiated settlement with Canada Post.

A federally appointed mediator began meeting with the two sides on Friday to try to reach a deal.

Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton issued a statement Sunday night saying the post office agreed to extend the talks for 24 hours at the mediator’s request.

The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.

The union had earlier said that if there was no deal by midnight Sunday, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refuse to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

CUPW served 72-hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.

On Sunday, the union said its initial plans for job action would have little effect on Canada Post customers.

“Our action will cause little to no disruption to the public,” national president Mike Palecek said in a statement.

“We’ll still be delivering mail every day.”

But a spokesman for Canada Post said the union’s threat of job action was still creating uncertainty for customers.