Toronto/Ottawa (with files from Josh Rubin of Toronto Star/Canadian Press) – The Postal Workers Strike started November 15. On this December 13, the strike action for better wages and working conditions would have been entering its fifth week.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to send about 55,000 striking Canada Post employees back to work.
But only until May and under the existing contract.
From the Toronto Star: MacKinnon announced he’s asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to appoint an “industrial inquiry commission” which will have until May 22 to probe potential ways to reach a new contract agreement. Until then, the strike will be on pause and workers and management will operate under terms of the existing contract, with expired almost a year ago.
Other delivery outlets such as Amazon, FedEx and UPS have not been able to fully deal with the current Christmas mail and parcel rush.
Dan Kelly of Canadian Federation of Independent Business issued a statement:
