Postal union to retailers: ‘We’re as frustrated as you are’ about dispute

OTTAWA — The union representing striking Canada Post workers says there are positives in the Crown corporation’s latest contract offers.

But the head of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the proposals issued yesterday don’t yet constitute finals offers that would put an end to rotating walkouts that are causing delivery delays across the country.

Union national president Mike Palecek won’t say whether tentative deals can be reached before the Saturday deadline imposed by Canada Post.

Palecek says the union needs concrete proposals for dealing with what he calls an “injury crisis” at Canada Post — and not just committees designed to punt worker health and safety concerns down the road.

Rotating walkouts continued Thursday at processing plants in Montreal and Winnipeg, as well as at smaller locations in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned his government will take unspecified action to end the rotating strikes if there is no significant progress in the negotiations.

Canada Post said recent major shutdowns of parcel processing in Toronto and Vancouver have created a backlog of nearly 500 tractor-trailer loads of parcels and packages that need to be sorted. The backlog has caused substantial delivery delays.

Online sales giant eBay has called on Trudeau to legislate an end to the labour dispute before the holiday shopping rush hits its first peak later this month with Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events.

The Canadian Press