Echo delivery interrupted by postal strike

Delivery of The Creemore Echo has been interrupted by postal worker rotating strikes.

The Nov. 9 edition of the newspaper was not delivered today to rural routes 1-4 Creemore, Glen Huron rural route 1 and general delivery addresses in Glen Huron.

The post office is closed Nov. 12 (Remembrance Day observed) but delivery may resume Tuesday, unless there is a second strike day.

The Creemore Post Office is open but the strike is affecting rural mail carriers.

Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) members are still without agreements for the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) bargaining units after almost a year of negotiations.

On Wednesday, Minister of Labour Patty Hadju extended the appointment of Morton Mitchnick as mediator for the next four days to assist the CUPW and Canada Post in reaching negotiated settlements.

“We welcome the mediator back to the negotiating table and we are ready to work with him to reach agreements that meet the needs of our members,” said CUPW national president Mike Palecek in a news release. “We will not back down on our demands. Canada Post knows its offers aren’t good enough and we will not settle for anything less than what our members deserve.”

CUPW has called on a national overtime ban for both of its major bargaining units at Canada Post. Postal workers, no matter what their job at Canada Post, will not work more than an eight-hour day and not more than a 40-hour week.

“Overburdening, overtime and overwork are all major issues in this round of bargaining. Until Canada Post negotiators’ address it, we can solve it for ourselves in the meantime,” said Palecek.