OTTAWA, Ontario — Canada’s labor minister announced Friday he is asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order about 55,000 striking Canada Post employees back to work after a four week work stoppage that disrupted mail service during the busy holiday season.
Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon said if the board agrees the two sides are at an impasse, union members will be told to return to work until May, while an inquiry is launched to determine why the two sides cannot come to an agreement.
“Canadians are rightly fed up,” MacKinnon said. “I have a responsibility to protect Canadians.”
With Christmas fast approaching there was no apparent movement at the bargaining table.
MacKinnon had previously rebuffed calls for Ottawa to intervene, saying it’s up to the two sides to work out a deal. But he said Canadians — especially small businesses, people in remote communities and Indigenous people — have suffered greatly as a result of the strike.
The key issues include wages, job security and how to staff a proposed expansion into weekend delivery.
MacKinnon said Canada Post is built to deliver letters but letter volumes have dropped dramatically and there is a highly competitive parcel delivery market.
“There are major structural changes in that industry that have to be accounted for. There are workers aspirations that have to be accounted for,” MacKinnon said. “Those are interests that are tough to reconcile.”
