Correction: An earlier version of this story included Napanee Ont. in the list of eastern Ontario municipalities with postal workers on strike on Nov. 7. This was incorrect and the story has been changed to reflect that.
Early Wednesday morning, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced rotating strikes in several new locations in eastern Ontario.
According to the union’s Twitter account, starting at 8 a.m. on Nov. 7, postal workers were called off the job in Kingston, Belleville, Brockville and Cornwall.
A strike was also called in Lindsay, Ont. at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Dozens of postal workers were out on picket lines in Kingston on Wednesday in front of Canada Post locations, along with Mary Whan, president of Local 556, CUPW union in Kingston.
“Our negotiators are asking for a fair settlement, to stop the over-burning of the letter carriers, to stop the forced overtime, to give them back their life so they can spend time with their families. But Canada Post does not want to negotiate for a safe contract and safe working conditions for our people.”
These new eastern Ontario regions were added to the an already long list of municipalities called to walk off the job in southern Ontario Wednesday morning: Chatham, Clinton, Georgetown, Milton, Orangeville, Port Hope, Stratford, Strathroy, Tillsonburg, Wingham and Woodstock.
The new Nov. 7 strikes come less than a day after postal workers in the country’s largest processing centre in Toronto walked off the job for a second time in three weeks.
WATCH: CUPW director weighs in on impact of postal strike so far
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says 4,500 Canada Post employees joined picket lines in Toronto at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Canada Post says there is no indication when that strike will end, adding it will worsen backlogs in mail or parcel deliveries across the country.
The workers in Kingston have been asked to picket until Thursday morning, unless they hear otherwise from the national union team.
“Nobody wants to be here of course,” Whan said. “But unfortunately Canada Post has refused to negotiate a fair contract for our workers”
-With files from The Canadian Press
Comments