A group of Postal workers in the North Bay area took part in an act of solidarity this morning for their National negotiating team.
The event was less than 10 minutes long as Keith Bradford, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 576, gave an update on negotiations between the union and Canada Post in the parking lot behind the local Canada Post building on Worthington Street in downtown North Bay.
Both sides are meeting this weekend in hopes of avoiding a work stoppage.
“It is always positive when you are at the table talking,” noted Bradford.
“You get a little nervous when they are not talking. So it sounds like there was a bit of a deadlock and our national president and the corporation's interim president are sitting down this weekend with their teams and going over to see what they can do to get us out of this deadlock.”
Bradford says Health and Safety along with wages are the two key negotiating points this weekend.
“Through negotiations, we are looking for better working conditions for our members to make sure that the products are going out to every house and business on a daily basis,” he said.
“Small business owners, single parents should not have to walk down the street to get their mail, it should be brought to them, to their house and we think that is really important to offer that service to everyone.”
Bradford has a good feeling about the negotiations, as being at the table usually means they are closer to a resolution than a deadlock.
“Hopefully with the presidents together talking to each other and trying to get through any deadlocks that we are having at the table, hopefully, we can see a negotiated settlement soon and coming up to Christmas we do not want any disruption if we can help it,” he said.
