Postal strike averted as union wants to continue talks - CAN

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Canadians will get their mail on Wednesday after all.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Sunday there will be no "strike activity" on that day, and it will remain "business as usual across our network."

About 48,000 mail carriers and in- side postal workers had threatened to walk off the job on Wednesday if they couldn't reach a deal with Can- ada Post.

But the union said it has "re- affirmed that its goal is to negotiate a settlement to this round of collect- ive bargaining with Canada Post."

The union and Canada Post were at an impasse in bargaining on sev- eral key issues. One of the issues is salary reductions for new employ- ees. The company wants to reduce labour costs by reducing the salary of new employees from $24 an hour to $17.50, according to the union.

Close to 20,000 of Canada Post's 48,000 unionized workers are eligible to retire over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the points of call, or new addresses, are increasing by about 240,000 a year because of new homes and condos, but addressed mail is de- creasing about 1.5 per cent a year.

If there is a strike, mail and par- cels will not be delivered. However, Canada Post has an agreement with the union to continue deliv- ering unemployment and welfare cheques, pensions and other social- assistance cheques. The last postal strike was in 1997.


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