Canada Post union members are uncertain as to if, or when, rolling strikes might hit the North, but local members say they are ready to take action to reach a collective agreement with the corporation.
Lynda Lefrancois, a postal clerk and president of the local 858 of the CUPW Prairie Region, said members are never given a heads up by the union until the last minute.
SA国际影视传媒淲e don't know. I have not a clue. I would get maybe a three hour notice because the national office in Ottawa picks it,SA国际影视传媒� said Lefrancois. SA国际影视传媒淵ou have to keep them guessing.SA国际影视传媒�
As of Thursday, CUPW members in Calgary, Red Deer and Sherbrooke were on strike.
Lefrancois said there are more than 30 CUPW members who are based in Hay River, Yellowknife and Inuvik.
CUPW members have been battling with the Canada Post Corporation for close to a year for a new collective agreement, with major grievances including improved workplace health and safety and better hours with less use of temporary workers. This means workers are often used on a call-in basis.
SA国际影视传媒淲e want the jobs,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hey are using temporary employees and huge amounts of hours. We want (those workers) to become permanent employees with benefits, wages and a regular income, because that way it helps every community and city.SA国际影视传媒�
The federal government got a mediator this week to try to reach a settlement, Lefrancois said.
SA国际影视传媒淲e don't want to go out, but we might have to go out to force the corporation to talk,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hey haven't been doing it for almost a year.SA国际影视传媒�
There are other Canada Post services throughout the North, but these are not directly related to the issue because they are not Canada Union Postal Workers. The Canadian Postmasters Assistants Association, for example, represents 14 Canada Post workers; nine in Fort Smith and five in Fort Simpson. Based on their collective agreement, they are unable to strike. In other communities, separate arrangements are made with Canada Post to provide postal service, typically through a retail outlet like the Northern Store.
Aalya Ahmad, communications director of CPAA said mail disruption could happen to a community whether or not they have CUPW workers because the latter union members sorting the mail in the more centralized, urban centers before sending to the smaller areas.
SA国际影视传媒淚t is very likely that if there is a strike in that part of the country (Yellowknife) that the mail will be affected (in more remote, rural areas), because that is where the mail is sorted,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
