Postal workers prepared to strike

Fredericton/Oromocto – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Canada Post Corporation continue to negotiate. A legal strike will occur if negotiations break down. With 72 hours notice, CUPW may begin a national postal strike.

“The Fredericton local was fully prepared to strike on our first legal strike day, which was May 25. Given a positive turn in negotiations we remain on standby, prepared to exercise our right to strike only if necessary,” says Ruth Breen, a member of the Strike Committee based in Fredericton. “Postal workers in our community do not wish to strike but are fully prepared to defend their right to respect, equality and a sharing of benefits within their workplace.”

“We’d like the residents of Fredericton to consider their public post office and what it means to them. More and more as a union we find ourselves negotiating not only our working conditions but the maintenance of these public services to Canadians,” adds Breen.

“Don’t let typical pre-negotiation fear mongering fool you,” says Breen. In 2009 (2010 data is not yet available) during the height of a global economic crisis, Canada Post posted net profits of 281 million and paid 95 million in tax to the federal government.  Despite this profitability, 16 years of profit and a successful service at one of the lowest costs in the industrialized world, Canada Post is leveling unreasonable cuts to the postal service. Where is this mandate coming from? Canadians?  Are Canadians choosing to diminish the postal service?

“Postal workers are looking at ways we can take a service that is working and expand and change to meet the real changes in our community and world.  There are many ways our infrastructure of people and facilities, in communities and neighborhoods could provide more services to Canadians; that is the Canada Post that CUPW would like to see, one that modernizes and changes to meet the needs of Canadians,” says Breen.