Edmonton-area temporary mail carriers pulled from routes

The head of the union representing Edmonton postal workers says the impacts of job action could soon be felt in the Capital region.

Montreal is the latest city to be hit by rotating postal strikes that began late last week, but Bev Ray, the president of the local chapter of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, says Canada Post is now taking it’s own action.

Ray says that temporary mail carriers in Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Camrose and Fort Saskatchewan have been pulled from their routes – a move that could impact thousands of homes and businesses.

A Canada Post spokesperson says the move is not directed at any particular areas, nor is it meant as retaliation for rotating strikes.

"Right across our network we’re seeing less mail in the system, that’s less revenue," said Canada Post’s Jon Hamilton. "We’ve said from BC to Newfoundland to the north that we can’t be booking overtime right now and we’re not going to take on casual employees to cover absences or sick days. That’s an effort to manage costs while we’re dealing with this really unfortunate situation."

Ray says there are 132 temporary carriers in region, and 220 temporary plant workers.

Early Monday afternoon Canada Post revealed it had turned down the latest offer put forward by CUPW, stating that the union’s "proposals remain too expensive and fail to address the challenges facing the postal system."

Late Monday CUPW revealed that postal workers in Victoria, B.C., and Moncton, N.B., will walk off the job for 24 hours starting midnight local time in the respective cities.