Canada Post workers in Vanderhoof will be wearing black every Friday to raise awareness about the fact that they don’t have a contract for over two years.
Vicky Richardson, lead-hand at the Canada Post office in the district said it is “shameful” that postal workers have not had a contract for over 740 days.
“I want to retire and have worked here 21 years, and I have never gone this long without a contract,” Richardson said.
She said workers don’t know what benefits would look like for them.
Canada Post back-to-work bill C-89 was passed on Nov. 24, 2018, after a month of rotating strikes by the union of postal workers.
Bill C-89 is an act passed by the federal Liberal government in the House of Commons to provide for the “resumption and continuation of postal services.”
The workers were demanding better pay, more job security and minimum guaranteed hours.
Following the bill, there was a mediator appointed to oversee negotiations between the union and Canada Post.
In an arbitration update on the Canadian Union of Postal Workers website, the union wrote that on Nov. 18, “Elizabeth MacPherson wrote to the Minister of Labour requesting an extension of her mandate to June 30, 2020. This request is based on the fact that Canada Post will not complete its case before the end of this year. To this, we have to take into account the Union’s very likely rebuttal evidence. With only four days of hearings left this year, it was obvious that the arbitration would need to extend into 2020.”
Richardson says its too long a wait to June of this year.
“We will wear black every Friday and stand outside for five minutes to mourn this process.”
This will not cause any disruption to mail service, Richardson added.
Aman Parhar
Editor, Vanderhoof Omineca Express
aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
