Canada Post union kicks off rotating strike

By Alyssa Leonard

Windsor is one of the first four cities to be hit by the Canada Post rotating strike.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers strike started this morning at 12:01 a.m. after almost a year of bargaining. The first four cities in the rotating strike are Windsor, Victoria, Edmonton, and Halifax. Mail will not be delivered today in those cities.

CUPW employee Monique Gagne stood proud at the corner of Ouellette Avenue and Park Street today. She said they are looking for a small wage increase and better wages across the board.

“I guess it’s a two-tier wage right now. Also, not forced over time because most letter carriers are forced into over time on a daily basis,” Gagne said. “We’re looking for more full-time job, job security, a better work environment.”

According to the union, the strike in each location will last for 24 hours. After that, mail delivery will return to normal in the affected locations.

“Canada Post had the opportunity this weekend to stop any postal disruption on Monday, but instead, as they have for almost a year, they refused to talk about the issues that matter to our members,” said Mike Palecek, CUPW national president, in a statement on the CUPW website.

Canada Post says it will continue to operate across Canada today and they are accepting and delivering mail and parcels in all other locations.

“We remain committed to arriving at a negotiated settlement with CUPW, while making every effort to minimize the impact of any disruption on the customers we serve,” said Canada Post in a statement posted to its website.

The union is unsure how long the strike could last.

“Job action will continue until Canada Post gets serious about bargaining,” said Palecek.

“They should and can do better. Our members deserve better.”