害羞草研究所淐hris害羞草研究所� has been a Canada Post employee and an active member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers for more than two decades, in centres across Canada.

She agreed to an interview with Black Press Media under the condition of anonymity, to discuss some of what the union considers questionable tactics used by Canada Post in an effort to gain support from Canadians.

***

Cheque害羞草研究所檚 in the mail?

Have you received your old age security cheques in the mail yet?

Likely not害羞草研究所� but Chris says not to blame the strikers.

害羞草研究所淲e have had them since the 13th, and they have held them in the supervisor害羞草研究所檚 office and essentially delayed the mail, to make this crisis and blame it on us. Now they can say, 害羞草研究所極ur carriers are on strike, and that害羞草研究所檚 why you害羞草研究所檙e not getting your mail on time.害羞草研究所� That is not the case at all. The [cheques] are sitting in Canada Post management offices, and they have been there for害羞草研究所� a long time.害羞草研究所�

The cheques were held until Nov. 22, at which time they were processed.

Canada Post officials have confirmed the isolation and specific delivery instructions with the cheques, saying they had to be isolated to ensure they were not lost or misplaced due to the work stoppages.

害羞草研究所淲e have an agreement with CUPW to deliver the cheques where strike activity is occurring and that害羞草研究所檚 what we are doing,害羞草研究所� said an email reply from Canada Post media relations. 害羞草研究所淭he cheques have to be isolated because if the location is on strike, they can害羞草研究所檛 be mixed up in the mail stream and end up trapped. Distribution dates are determined by the agencies that prepare the cheques and we fully respect that.害羞草研究所�

Canada Post is following guidelines set in the Socio-Economic Cheque Program, a collaborative agreement laid out by both sides to ensure proper distribution of government cheques in the event of a work stoppage. (Socio-Economic Cheque Program document is published at the end of this article.)

Backlog? What backlog?

According to Chris, the backlog being bandied about in the media is another Crown corporation fabrication. Some reports suggest upwards of 600 tractor-trailers sit unloaded.

害羞草研究所淲here?害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just not true. Canada Post claimed they had hundreds of trailers backlogged in Toronto and throughout the country. But when [media] arrived to take pictures, Canada Post wouldn害羞草研究所檛 let them in [the compound].

害羞草研究所淭here are maybe 50 trailers across Canada that haven害羞草研究所檛 been unloaded yet. Canada Post is saying there are hundreds and hundreds, which isn害羞草研究所檛 the case at all. This is all fabricated by them to create this crisis.害羞草研究所�

Wednesday, on its website, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers also refuted a report that postal workers have seen one truck in London, six trailers in Hamilton, two in Halifax, 15 in Moncton, and zero in Saint John and St. John害羞草研究所檚.

害羞草研究所淪o where did all that mail go overnight?害羞草研究所� asks Mike Palecek, CUPW national president. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e convinced that Canada Post manufactured a crisis just to get the government to intervene. If so, that害羞草研究所檚 a huge concern, and it will further poison our work environment and labour relations for years and years to come.害羞草研究所�

Chris said she has personally felt the consequences of this tactic. A package she ordered from China was recently returned to sender.

害羞草研究所淚 contacted them, and they said because of the Canada Post strike, they are not allowed to send stuff to Canada. They have been notified by the corporation, which is totally ridiculous. We unload stuff every day.害羞草研究所�

She said there has been no backlog at the Victoria depot.

害羞草研究所淲e get our mail every day from them. There is zero backlog. I can guarantee that.害羞草研究所�

(Canada Post did not respond to a request for comment regarding this assertion.)

Labour issues

Working conditions for letter carriers is the biggest issue of this strike, according to Chris.

害羞草研究所淭he biggest issue is the over-burdening of our letter carriers now,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hey are forced to carry more mail, and their routes are longer. Some of the routes are now over 30 kilometres long, and they are carrying 50 pounds on their back. Our injury rate is five times any other federal employee, because of the over-burdening of our letter carriers.害羞草研究所�

Routes have been restructured, according to a letter carrier route measurement system created by Canada Post.

害羞草研究所淲hen they do restructures, they eliminate routes and make other ones longer. Even though our letter mail has eroded a percentage in the last number of years, we make up for that tenfold in the ad mail they deliver. So it害羞草研究所檚 a heavier load now, the routes are longer, and of course, it害羞草研究所檚 an aging population.害羞草研究所�

Another issue is the 害羞草研究所渇orce back overtime.害羞草研究所�

Chris said letter carriers have refused this forced overtime during the strike, and that害羞草研究所檚 the only thing creating any backlog.

害羞草研究所淲hat we have done now is we have curtailed the overtime. We work our eight hours and we go home,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 where the backlog is forming, because they don害羞草研究所檛 have enough staff. Whatever backlog there is has very little to do with the strike, because the strike is rotating.

害羞草研究所淪o we are out for a day, or a couple of days, here or there. We are slowing down mail to make the public aware of what is going on, but if there is any backlog of mail, it害羞草研究所檚 essentially because the letter carriers aren害羞草研究所檛 working any more than eight hours.害羞草研究所�

Another big issue is pay equity for the rural carriers. If that sounds familiar, there害羞草研究所檚 a reason. It was one of the major issues in the 2016 strike as well.

害羞草研究所淲e won that in court 害羞草研究所� they are supposed to get that 害羞草研究所� but we are still striking for it, because apparently, the corporation doesn害羞草研究所檛 want to pay it,害羞草研究所� said Chris. 害羞草研究所淭his has been ongoing since 2005, when we brought them into our union.害羞草研究所�

Chris appreciates not everyone is in support of the mail carriers, but she said the frustration should be directed towards Canada Post, and not the workers. The rotating strikes are the union害羞草研究所檚 way of bringing attention to the situation with as little disruption as possible.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 want to affect the public at all,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e are the good guys. We are the guys who want to help you. We are the people who show up to your door when someone has fallen and can害羞草研究所檛 get up, and call the ambulance.

害羞草研究所淲e love our jobs. We love helping people and we love delivering the mail. We just want to work and have a fair contract.害羞草研究所�

Legislation tabled

Back-to-work legislation to force the end of the strike was tabled Thursday in Ottawa, with Labour Minister Patty Hajdu saying people and businesses are relying on Canada Post to deliver the mail as the holidays approach.

Chris said defiant postal workers could now face up to $1,000 a day in fines.

害羞草研究所淚f you害羞草研究所檙e a young person with a family, you could never afford to pay $1,000 a day, especially if you are already losing a couple of hundred dollars a day in wages. It害羞草研究所檚 a threat to the person that can害羞草研究所檛 afford it.害羞草研究所�

The back-to-work legislation has been condemned by the Canadian Labour Congress.

害羞草研究所淭he right to strike is an integral part of collective bargaining. Without it, an employer has no incentive to bargain in good faith, and workers have no recourse to demand a fair process,害羞草研究所� said president, Hassan Yussuff in a statement posted on the CUPW website.

The Harper government害羞草研究所檚 legislation to end the 2011 postal strike was later deemed to be unconstitutional.

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