Mail Volume Way Down as Strikes Continue

As Canada Post's rolling strikes hit Alberta today, the postal service is blaming its union for a rapid decline in business.

Canadians have sent about half as much mail as they typically do since the Canada Post strike began last week, according to the Crown corporation. Canada Post blamed the decline in service on the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, whose members have hit picket lines in cities across Canada to demand better working conditions and wages. Twenty-four-hour strikes have been scheduled in successive cities, with workers in Moncton and Victoria wrapping up their walkouts today, while employees in Calgary and Edmonton began striking last night. CUPW and Canada Post still remain at odds over a new collective agreement, with Canada Post calling the union's latest offer too “expensive” for its coffers.