Posties forced back to work

The series of rotating postal strikes came to an end this week, with the federal government introducing back-to-work legislation ahead of the busy holiday season.

Negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have been ongoing for more than a year, but tensions escalated when CUPW launched a rotating strike beginning on October 22. The postal workers are aiming to address concerns about health and safety, specifically issues with forced overtime and the overburdening of letter carriers.

The strike has hit locations all across Canada, including Elmira, Kitchener and Waterloo. Canada Post said on Tuesday afternoon that Canadians can expect delivery delays for the next several weeks due to “unprecedented backlogs.” Delays with international parcels could be expected until March 2019.

The union says it intends to fight the legislation and continue to press Canada Post for better terms.