Mail flowing again in Sask. with Canada Post workers back on the job

It’s been nearly three weeks since Canada Post workers were ordered back to work, and mail delivery in Saskatchewan is largely back to normal.

Brahm Enslin, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Saskatoon Local 824 in Saskatoon, said the pile of undelivered mail has been cleared, and service is returning to where it was prior to the four-week strike.

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“There’s been a bit of a catch-up period, obviously, but it’s equalizing now for sure. It’s back up and going. We have our carriers out there delivering,” Enslin said.

Canada Post workers on the picket line were angered after they learned the federal government was forcing them back to work, despite no new deal being reached between the company and union. (Shane Clausing/650 CKOM)

“There wasn’t a bunch of backlog in the plant like there would have been during rotating strikes, but that’s it’s all sort of regulating now a little bit.”

Canada Post workers were forced to go back on the job under their existing contracts on December 17 after the Government of Canada asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to intervene and order Canada Post employees back to work.

Enslin said those who are looking to send letters or packages can feel confident about putting them in the mail.

“If there’s any delays left, it would be very small,” he said.

Canada Post employees are still hoping to return to the bargaining table and hash out a deal as soon as possible. Enslin said talks have been quiet since the postal workers were ordered back to work, though he noted that the holiday season is a big factor.

“There hasn’t been a lot of discussion,” the union head explained. “I think it’s the 13th and the 14th (of January) there are some discussions on the back-to-work order that we believe to be unconstitutional and essentially illegal.”

A number of issues were at the root of the strike, including wages and weekend delivery. Enslin said many postal workers are still unhappy about the order from the labour board, which leaves those issues unresolved for now.

“Postal workers are a little dismayed at the order and still upset that the government had intervened the way that they did and did it the way that they did,” he said.

“Carriers are happy that they’re at work, but just not under these conditions.”