Update
This story was updated Nov. 15 to better reflect "Jane's" reason for anonymity and to replace a photo which included a person who did not wish to be photographed.
Protesters were on the picket lines on Perron Street Friday morning as Canada Post workers went on strike nationwide.
Some 55,000 Canada Post workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went on a nationwide strike Nov. 15.
The strike brought national mail service to a halt, affecting millions of Canadians. On its website, Canada Post said mail and parcels would not be delivered during the strike and would result in service delays.
Around a dozen members of CUPW 730 (which represents St. Albert and Sturgeon County postal workers) set up a picket line at the Perron St. postal office at about 9 a.m. that morning amidst pouring wet snow. The protest was a laid-back affair, with members bearing placards and waving as passing drivers honked in support. One man had a small, flag-like sign that read “Fare Wages” — it was unclear if the misspelling was intentional.
Canada Post and CUPW had been in contract negotiations for about a year before the union issued a 72-hour strike notice on Nov. 12. The union went on strike Nov. 15 after talks failed to reach a deal.
In a media release, CUPW said it was demanding fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and an expansion of services at the postal office.
Earlier in the week, CUPW 730 acting president James Ball told the Gazette that wages at Canada Post had not kept pace with inflation, resulting in a 50 per cent drop in the purchasing power of beginning workers since 2006.
Ball said workers also want Canada Post to halt its rollout of a new policy that would add about seven kilometres to the average letter carrier’s route, resulting in slower deliveries and more risk of injury.
“We have the highest injury rate of any federal sector of employment and they insist on trying to injury us more.”
“Jane,” a Sturgeon County resident and 13-year employee with Canada Post who requested that her real name not be published, said she was participating in the Perron St. protest to get better working conditions for her co-workers. She said letter carriers like herself often had to walk 17-to-25 km a day while hauling over 35 pounds of letters, flyers, and packages, putting them at risk of injury.
“Last week I was delivering stacks of mail like this” — and here she mimed an inch-thick stack with her thumb and forefinger — “to people’s homes,” she said, and got a sprained rib in the process.
Jane said she would be fine with the heavy loads if Canada Post supported its staff. Instead, managers push workers to the point of injury and then harass them when they get injured.
“It’s such a weird culture.”
Jane said St. Albert-area postal workers will be on the picket line at the Perron St. office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays until the strike is over. While regular mail service will be halted during the strike, Canada Post workers will still be delivering government cheques for seniors and other groups.
Jane said she hoped St. Albert residents would support the union during this strike, noting how postal workers often reported crimes and helped seniors while on their daily routes. She hoped the strike would be resolved soon.
“We love the mail and we love our jobs.”
Visit canadapost.ca/negotiations or cupw.ca for updates on this labour dispute.