Postal pickets

The nationwide rotating postal worker strike hit Thunder Bay Thursday impacting about 200 local workers.

Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are still at the negotiating table, but president of Local 620 Wendy Johnston said the corporation doesn’t appear to be taking the process seriously.
 
“Instead of coming back and negotiating, they’re coming back with more claw backs,” she said on the picket line in front of Thunder Bay’s Canada Post headquarters on Alloy Drive Thursday afternoon.

Thursday’s work stoppage in Thunder Bay and 13 other Canadian municipalities was scheduled to last for 24 hours. At 11:30 p.m. the midnight shift will resume normal operations.

Many of the union’s concerns are around health and safety, said Johnston, citing the corporation’s modernization program. She added when Canada Post mechanized in the early 1970s, they didn’t do ergonomic assessments and many workers were injured.

“We’re just asking Canada Post to look into our interests around health and safety with the modern post and the new equipment they’re bringing in,” she said.

Starting next week, Canada Post is moving to a three-day workweek with their urban mail carriers. Officials say the three-day work week is necessary because of the loss of business during the strike.

“Every day these rotating strikes continue is another day our volumes take a huge hit,” said spokesman Jon Hamilton. “We’ve seen up to 50 per cent less mail in the system in just the last six days as Canadians coast-to-coast are hesitant to put anything in the mail stream.”

The reduced workweek means fewer hours for Canada Post employees and Hamilton said these actions were required to manager their costs.

“With our volumes dropping off a cliff because of the union’s activities, we have no other option unfortunately,” he said.

Johnston said they feel the corporation is using dirty tactics and provoking the membership with the three-day workweek.

“They’re trying to force us to walk out,” she said.

The postal workers’ contract ended in January and both sides have been negotiating since last October.

Hamilton said they have a generous offer on the table that includes annual wage increases up to $26 an hour, job security, defined benefit and pension plans and up to seven weeks of vacation.

“I grew up in Thunder Bay and I look at these jobs … these are good jobs,” he said. “Our people work hard. We know that. That’s why they have some of the bet wages and benefits in Canada. We’re trying to continue that and make it a bit better.”

He said the union is more interested in stopping their investments in modernization and adding employees they can’t afford.

“We are looking at a 17 per cent drop in volume on a five-year basis,” Hamilton said. “People are using the Internet more and more. It’s eating into our business. We have to face facts.”

The local workers want to see the mail keep moving, said Johnston.

“We want the corporation to start dealing honestly with the union and start making some strides to good collective bargaining,” she said.