OTTAWA, June 16 (UPI) -- Canadian lawmakers will be asked to pass legislation forcing postal workers to end their strike, the federal labor minister said Thursday.
The move to require the postal workers to resume delivering the mail doesn't sit well with the carriers, CTV reported.
"We believe in our cause. We believe that our positions are reasonable," one Canadian Union of Postal Workers member, Rhiannon Edwards, said.
Other than courier companies that are seeing a 15 percent surge in business, companies generally would like to see the work stoppage end quickly.
"If they do go back, it would be a good thing for us," said Pat Carson of Urban Scrapbook, who is losing money as orders go unshipped.
"If it went over an extended period of time it could definitely be in the thousands [of dollars,] definitely."
The Canadian Post sent out word reminding people it intends to send out 2 million public pension and government checks on schedule Monday despite the strike, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The postal service and union had reached an agreement in March on delivery of the checks in March
Canada Post closed down late Tuesday after workers implemented 12 days of rotating strikes in various major cities.
Deepak Chopra, Canada Post president and chief executive officer, said the postal service, which has lost more than $100 million during the walkout, has only so much room to negotiate and needs the union to compromise to reach a settlement.
"We were willing to bend. But unfortunately there has been no movement from the other side," Chopra said.
The two sides remain apart on health and safety issues, wages and pensions.
