Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Local 706 gathered in front of the Canada Post office in North Battleford on Nov. 15 to support the union's nationwide postal strike. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

POSTAL STRIKE

‘In the end, nobody wins’; North Battleford postal workers strike for better working conditions

Nov 15, 2024 | 1:45 PM

As postal strikes begin across the country, Canada Post workers in North Battleford faced the biting cold Friday morning, standing on the street with signs in hand, determined to make their voices heard.

“We are hoping the public sees us more than just greedy post office workers looking for more money; there are a lot of other underlying issues that are very important for the current employees and the future of this company,” said Jason Hawkes, Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Local 706 president.

Following Canada Post’s failure to reach a negotiated agreement with CUPW, the union issued a 72-hour strike notice to the national postal service on Nov. 12.

“We still believe we can achieve negotiated collective agreements, but Canada Post must be willing to resolve our new and outstanding issues,” CUPW noted in a statement.

Jason Hawkes, the president of CUPW Local 706, hopes an agreement will be reached soon so postal workers can continue to serve the public. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

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Joel Mckee, vice president of CUPW Local 706, noted that the workers’ goal is simply to create a better work environment.

When asked what made him realize there was a problem, he stated that dealing with staffing shortages has made it increasingly hard to maintain pace with the fast delivery process, which has been ‘taking a toll’ on the team.

“We want enough workers to have everything covered and not wear our workers out,” he noted. “Have everyone in a safe environment so we can go home at night and have a good quality of life.”

CUPW and Canada Post have been negotiating for nearly a year. The Union seeks fair wages, better working conditions, and secure retirement for workers, along with new services at public post offices.

“We’re not just bargaining for ourselves; we’re bargaining for the public and for all workers. Too many people have fallen behind over the last few years while executives’ salaries keep rising,” CUPW stated.

As concerns arise that strikes will interrupt the holiday season, Hawkes hopes an agreement will be reached soon so that they can return to work as soon as possible, allowing them to continue serving the public.

“In the end, nobody wins…the company, the workers and especially the customers,” Hawkes noted.

Around ten local postal workers joined the strike on Friday morning in North Battleford. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com