Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

CANADA POST STRIKE

Local postal workers frustrated by federal move to pause Canada Post strike

Dec 16, 2024 | 5:08 PM

KAMLOOPS — Postal workers across the country have been ordered back to work and, in Kamloops, the union members walking picket lines over the past month are frustrated with the federal government’s intervention in the job action.

The order from the federal Labour Relations Board is serving as a pause on the strike action, with bargaining planned to resume again in May of the new year.

CFJC News spoke from CUPW Local 758’s acting president, Aaron Arseneau, who says the changes aren’t welcome.

“This pause until May is completely unprecedented and that’s what really caught us off guard. Our last contract negotiations have always ended in legislation, the last couple, so not necessarily surprised there. Not surprised that they found a loophole to push it through without legislation,” he says.

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The strike began one month ago and the union is seeking wage increases, better pensions and improved health benefits. Members are set to return to work under the existing collective agreements, which will be extended until May of 2025. However, Canada Post says it has offered to implement a wage increase of five per cent for employees.

“Five per cent, while it is nice to see, we need to have the guarantee that we’ll continue to see the raises over the next couple years of the contract. It doesn’t mean much to us currently and we can kind of see through what the government is doing. They’re trying to give some sort of incentive to split the union on whether we do go back to work, or we don’t.”

In a statement Canada Post says it will work through the backlog of mail and parcels stuck in the system since the strike began on November 15, on a first-in, first-out basis. While new commercial volumes are not going to be accepted until Thursday, December 19.