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Posties protest in Cloverdale

Canadian Union of Postal Workers conducting rotating strikes across the country.
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Canada Post employees protest at the corner of 176 Street and 64 Avenue on Tuesday morning.

Since June 3, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has been conducting rotating strikes in several major cities across Canada.

"We will continue to strike," Canadian Union of Postal Workers chief negotiator Denis Lemelin said. "We will (also) continue to negotiate with Canada Post."

The union had asked for wage hikes of 3.3 per cent in the first year and 2.75 per cent in each of the next three years.

Canada Post offered a four-year contract lifting pay 1.9 per cent in each of the first three years and 2.0 per cent in the fourth.

Postal workers currently make at least $23 an hour, however Canada Post wanted the starting wage for new hires to begin at $19 an hour.

Canada Post says it must address labour costs as a result of a 17 per cent drop in letter-mail business since 2006 due to a rise in online bill payments and other electronic communications.

Issues at the table include changing technology, job procedures and concessions on wages and benefits for new hires.

The last postal strike was in 1997 when posties walked out for two weeks before being legislated back to work.



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