The union representing Canada Post employees will change its strategy over Thanksgiving weekend.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has announced that it will end its nationwide strike at 6 a.m. on Saturday. At that point, thousands of postal workers will return and begin preparing mail and parcels for delivery.
However, the union also announced that it will begin rotating strikes. It was not immediately clear when rotating strikes will begin or where.
Jan Simpson, CUPW National President, said that the union is not giving up.
"While this will start mail and parcels moving, while continuing our struggle for good collective agreements and a strong public postal service," said Simpson in a media release. "We did not take the decision to move to a nationwide strike lightly. Postal workers would much rather have new collective agreements and be delivering mail instead of taking strike action."
Canada Post said in a statement of its own that it is welcoming employees back, but consumers should still expect delays as rotating strikes are imminent.
"Uncertainty and instability in the postal service will continue with the union's decision to conduct rotating strikes," read the statement. "Shutting down and restarting parts of our integrated national network with rotating strikes has always challenged our ability to provide reliable service to customers. As a result, all service guarantees will be suspended."
Employees walked off the job on September 25 after the federal government announced that it would allow the Crown corporation to start the process of ending most home delivery. This may include the closure of some post offices and the delivery of mail by ground rather than by air.
Canada Post also said that it has urged the CUPW to return to bargaining.
