Skip to content

Fed's force post offices to reopen

Posties forced back to work

The post offices have re-opened across the nation and the mailboxes unsealed after the Senate passed legislation June 27 to force contract arbitration between Canada Post and its employees.

This resolution comes after 58 hours of debate in the House of Commons, with a rare Sunday sitting of the cabinet, while NDP MPs voiced their objections to the Bill C-6.

The legislation imposes a contract, including lower wages than Canada Post had in its final offer.

Senators eventually passed the legislation, which received royal assent just hours later.

The Conservative government tabled the back-to-work bill a week earlier after rotating strikes that began in early June by Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) members led to Canada Post locking out 48,000 employees.

Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod said she is "glad it's over."

The government felt it had to step in as businesses, charities and communities were starting to be impacted in a negative way, she explained.

"I had many, many e-mails from small businesses hurting because of the lack of service.

"Our communities in the north completely reply on the postal service for everything from general staples and diapers to food."

While it is "unfortunate" the government had to step in, McLeod notes the decision came after months and months of negotiation at the bargaining table, including mediation and conciliation support.

The MP explains a negotiated agreement from about a year ago for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the largest trade union serving the public sector in the country, is what was used to determine the legislated wage increases for CUPW members.

"We thought they were fair and appropriate increases."

A Canada Post release stated postal workers started back to work the same day and Canadians could expect to start receiving mail on June 28, but noted backlogs were expected due to large volumes.

The release also indicated any mail in the system at the time of the work disruption has been secured for processing and delivery.

Williams Lake and 100 Mile House CUPW Local 854 president Ivan Bonnell was unavailable for comment.