The large pan-Canadian union, which represents 55,000 members across the country, ended its meetings on Sunday evening to decide on a strike mandate. The result of the vote should be known “immediately”, he said on Monday.
The mediator appointed by the federal government is on familiar ground: they had worked on the file as a conciliator.
The conciliation began on August 13. Under the rules, after this there follows a so-called “cooling off period” lasting 21 days. This will end on November 2.
Thus, if the Union of Postal Workers actually obtains its strike mandate from its members, they could launch a strike soon, after 72 hours’ notice.
“Their appointment in no way compromises our right to strike. The date we gain the right to strike remains the same. The Union will therefore have the right to strike at 12:01 a.m. on November 3,” indicated the CUPW, which is affiliated with the FTQ in Quebec.
Canada Post, for its part, is preparing, just in case. “We are very grateful for the trust that customers place in us and we know that planning for seasonal activities is done months in advance. We will inform customers as quickly as possible if the triggering of a work stoppage becomes very likely,” she said.
