Canadian postal workers began a series of rolling strikes late Thursday night after talks with the government-owned postal agency failed to yield an agreement, Bloomberg reported Friday.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post are negotiating a contract for about 48,000 letter carriers and other staff in urban areas, Bloomberg said.
Canada Post said it needs to address labor costs, and that its letters business has fallen by more than 17% cent in the past five years, largely due to digital communications, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported on its website Friday.
The strike was the first job action by the union in more than 13 years, and about 1,500 workers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, began a 24-hour strike at midnight, Bloomberg reported.
The union began what it said will be rolling strikes in across Canada, and the job action will shift to Hamilton, Ontario, late Friday night, a union official told reporters in Ottawa Friday.
Issues include health and safety, pay for new hires, and a company proposal to eliminate ability of workers to accumulate sick leave, Bloomberg said.
