Canada Post issued a 72-hour lockout notice to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), raising the spectre of a work stoppage by Friday.
The announcement came on Tuesday morning, hours after Canada Post said its latest offer presented on June 25 was fair and reasonable and that it still hoped to negotiate a deal with the union.
But in a statement early Tuesday, Canada Post said it plans to suspend the collective agreement as of Friday. It blamed prolonged negotiations, the union’s strike mandate and the financial cost of a rapid decline in mail volume. Canada Post and the CUPW have been in negotiations since December for its delivery and plant employees. Both sides have said the No. 1 sticking point in negotiations involves changes to employee pension plans.
Canada Post said the 72-hour notice does not necessarily mean it will shut down on Friday. Rather, it said, the lockout would allow it “take measures that are necessary to respond to the changing business reality.”
In the event mail service discontinues, the Weyburn Review has arranged to have subscriber copies available for pick up in the following communities by Thursday afternoon each week.
Assiniboia: Assiniboia Times Office; Beaubier: Co-op Foods; Bengough: Co-op Foods; Big Beaver: Austs General Store; Bromhead:Regional Park office (Oungre); Carlyle: Carlyle Observer Office; Ceylon: RM Office; Colgate: Yellow Box next to Weyburn This Week on Main Street; Creelman: Community Store; Fillmore: Fillmore Pharmacy; Francis: Ziggy Mart; Gladmar; Co-op Foods; Griffin: RM office; Halbrite: DC Confectionary; Heward: Yellow Box set up next to Weyburn This Week (service road); Lake Alma: Coffee Shop at Rink; Lang: Co-op Gas Bar; McTaggart: Yellow Box next to Weyburn This Week (beside community hall); Midale: Midale Variety; Milestone: Co-op Foods; Minton: RM Office; Ogema: Co-op Foods; Osage: Glover’s Service; Oungre: Regional Park office; Pangman: Co-op Foods; Radville: Pharmasave; Stoughton: Co-op Foods; Torquay: Town Hall; Tribune: Lokken Services; Trossach: Yellow Box next to Weyburn This Week (community lock box); Tyvan: Yellow Box next to Weyburn This Week (Community Centre); Viceroy: Co-op Foods; and Yellow Grass: Golden Harvest Drop in Centre.
If your community is not listed, please contact our office at 306-842-7487 to confirm options. If you are a Weyburn Box holder, the newspaper will be available for pick up at the Weyburn Review office at 904 East Ave.
