The ongoing rotating strikes being staged by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has moved west to Manitoba.
A total of 1,500 CUPW members walked off the job in Winnipeg at 10 p.m. local time on Sunday and workers were preparing to set up picket lines in Brandon, Manitoba on Monday. The union reported on its website Sunday night that strikes were also continuing in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and in IIes-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec. Those job actions began on Friday and Saturday.
CUPW members have been conducting rotating walkouts across the country as special mediator Morton Mitchnick tries to resolve the protracted labour dispute between Canada Post and its largest union. Nearly 9,000 CUPW members walked out for two days of strikes last week in Toronto, creating delivery delays for tens of thousands of Canadians waiting for letters and parcels.
The union has said that Canada Post needs to come to the bargaining table ready to talk about health and safety, equality for rural and suburban mail carriers and an end to forced overtime.
For its part, Canada Post says it has offered the union increased wages, job security and improved benefits. The two sides continue meeting with the mediator.
