WINNIPEG, Manitoba, June 3 (UPI) -- Canadian postal workers, whose average starting wage is $23 an hour, have gone on strike for better working conditions, officials said.
The first legal strike in 13 years started in Winnipeg Thursday with about 150 postal workers and the strike will be expanded to other locations later, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday.
The Crown Corp. said it made several compromises in the latest offer to postal workers, including on issues such as sick days and the hiring of future employees, but they apparently weren't enough to prevent the strike.
Canadian Union of Postal Workers President Denis Lemelin said there was "some movement" in negotiations, but there was "nothing on the major outstanding issues."
"After more than seven months of difficult and frustrating negotiations, CUPW has initiated strike activity," Lemelin said. "Tonight, members of the Winnipeg local will be the first postal workers to legally strike in more than 13 years."
"We are fully committed to negotiating a deal and avoiding a costly and unnecessary strike, as evidenced by our latest offer and therefore frustrated with the lack of response from the union," Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton said.
Canada's federal government said a postal strike could harm the country's economy. The last time Canada Post workers went on strike was in 1997. The Canadian government forced an end to that strike with back-to-work legislation after about two weeks.
