Back to work for Canada Post employees

Back-to-work for postal workers Canada Post employees end rotating strikes as Ottawa passes back-to-work legislation.

Mail service resumed on Tuesday putting an end to the rotating strikes by Canada Post workers.

The Senate passed a bill on Monday evening that forced postal employees back to work to help alleviate backlogs across the country.

Canada Post workers in Orillia say it’s a slap in the face.

“It’s a huge letdown,” says Mike Smit.  “Mr. Trudeau has lost a bunch of votes.”

Some independent senators argued the bill is an unconstitutional violation of postal workers’ rights to strike.

Bill C-89 was debated after the Liberal Government fast-tracked the legislation through the House of Commons.  The bill was approved by a vote of 53-25, with four abstentions.

Due to the economic impact that the ongoing mail disruptions posed during the busy holiday season, the government deemed the passage of the bill as urgent.

“The Senate did its job, and for that, I’m not disappointed,” Senator Frances Lankin says.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued a statement declaring it's "exploring all options to fight the back-to-work legislation.”

“We’re now going into the heaviest time of the year, and we’re back to doing the same thing,” says CUPW Orillia Local 578 secretary-treasurer Tara Stone.  “The forced overtime, the health and safety issues of people being injured, being forced to be out there until 10 o’clock at night in the middle of snowstorms."

Canada Post says its focus is now on dealing with the mail and parcel backlog while the union says it’s planning a demonstration of some sort in the coming days proving this labour dispute is far from over.

- With files from The Canadian Press