Postal workers walk a picket line outside the Vernon Post Office Thursday.
9 am
Mail delivery is back to normal today in the North Okanagan.
About 90 postal workers from Vernon, Armstrong, Lumby and Falkland walked off the job Thursday, as part of rotating strikes in 31 communities by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
Among the 27 sites off the job today are Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, Kamloops, Grand Forks and Golden.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is hinting time is running out for Canada Post and its workers to reach a contract settlement.
Trudeau says the government may soon act to end the dispute.
Canada Post says it’s dealing with a large backlog of undelivered packages.
Nov. 8
There won’t be any mail or parcel delivery in the North Okanagan today.
About 90 postal workers walked off the job this morning in Vernon, Armstrong, Lumby and Falkland as part of rotating strikes by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
Local president Valeta Heiden says it’s expected to be a 24 hour strike, ending at 7 am Friday.
She says the post offices in Lumby, Falkland and Armstrong are open today, but not the one in Vernon.
“The one in Vernon is run by the CUPW members.”
Vernon is one of 31 cities with strike action today.
Heiden says the main issues in the dispute with Canada Post are over-burdening, forced overtime and pay equity.
“Parcel volumes have gone up every year and parcels have only gotten heavier and larger, and it hasn’t been addressed. So we’re very over-burdened with the amount of work that we do. Forced overtime is being used a regular staffing tool, especially locally. Pay equity is a big issue: members that are doing the same work and receiving far less,” Heiden tells Beach Radio News.
Heiden says a mediator has been re-appointed by the government for four days to try and find a settlement.
“Hopefully we can get some progress and have it resolved by the end of the weekend,” adds Heiden.
Penticton, Kamloops, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Cranbrook are the other BC cities affected by strike action today.
9 am
The Vernon Post Office is the site of picket line today.
Vernon postal workers are among 31 locals of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, that are off the job today as part of rotating strikes by the union in an ongoing dispute with Canada Post.
It means the mail won’t be delivered in the impacted communities with the strikes normally lasting a day.
Penticton, Kamloops, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Cranbrook are the other BC cities affected.
