Charlottetown postal workers forced back to work Tuesday

Charlottetown postal workers were forced back to work Tuesday afternoon after striking all morning federal legislation orderedan end to job action as of 1 p.m. AT.

Charlottetown wasone of dozens of communities across the country where CUPWimplementedlast-minute strikes or workplace occupations. The Senate passed the federal government's back-to-work legislation Monday evening.

"We're protesting because we feel the [legislation] clearly violated our right to free collective bargaining," said Pearl Gillis-Palmer, president of the Charlottetown branch of CUPW, said Tuesday morning.

"We just want a fair contract and we want it now, and we don't want to be legislated back to work.But that's what's going to happen today."

Management and union at Canada Post have been negotiating a new contract for more than a year, and CUPW started rotating strikes on Oct. 22.

There are still a large number of issues on the table, including pay, job security, equity between the Crown corporation'srural and urban workers, and new rules to cut down on workplace injuries.

UPEI Faculty Association joins postal workers

On Tuesday morning, the vice-president of UPEI's Faculty Association,Michael Arfken, joined striking workers outside Canada Post near the Charlottetown Airport.

Arfken told workers his union is "standing in solidarity in with their strike."

"I mean whatever happens with one union has implications for all the other unions," Arfken said."Obviously the precedent of legislating back to work is a concern for all unions.And we share the concern about the importance of negotiating rather than legislating."

Federal Labour Minister Patty Hajduhas called the back-to-work legislation a last resort, only being implemented because of the "significant negative impacts"the rotating strikes have had on parcel and mail delivery, particularlyforbusinesses and charities.

'Where are the delays?'

Gillis-Palmermaintains Canada's Posts assertion that the strikes have caused major backlogs and slowed delivery has been exaggerated.

"Like Amazon, people shop therea lot, there's a lot of packages coming through. We delivered one on Monday, and the lady said 'Wow, I ordered that Saturday morning, and it's here.' So where's the backlog? Where are the delays? There isn't one.It's just normal volumes for Christmas," said Gillis-Palmer.

This wasthe second time P.E.I. postal workers have been a part of the strikes. Workers across the Island walked off the job on Oct. 31.

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