U.S. postal workers are gathering outside Canada’s embassy in Washington to protest the federal Liberal government’s decision to legislate their northern counterparts back to work.
Members of the American Postal Workers Union and the National Association of Letter Carriers are among those on Pennsylvania Avenue who are taking part in what they call a show of solidarity with Canada Post workers.
Ottawa passed legislation last November that required striking postal workers to resume their duties, appointing a mediator to arbitrate an end to the Crown corporation’s dispute with members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
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Those efforts, led by Elizabeth MacPherson, former chairwoman of the Canada Industrial Relations Board, broke down in December and are expected to resume later this month.
That process is aimed at reaching arbitrated settlements that would be imposed on Canada Post and its 42,000 urban carriers and 8,000 rural and suburban employees.
During last year’s rotating walkouts, Canada Post requested that its foreign partners halt deliveries to Canada while job action was underway.
The Canadian Press
