Hamilton posties protest outside Tory MP’s office

Hamilton postal workers picketed outside Conservative MP David Sweet’s office Tuesday.

They say they’re angry about Canada Post’s move to have urban mail workers’ shifts reduced to only three days a week. Canada Post says it’s because mail volume has dropped dramatically as businesses move their business elsewhere. The Hamilton workers feel the crown corporation is misleading the public.

CUPW Local 548 president Mark Platt calls it frustrating. “I can tell you in Hamilton, the letter carriers are telling me that the mail volumes are not down, there’s mail sitting in the depots waiting to be delivered and our letter carriers want to deliver that mail.”

A sentiment echoed by letter carrier Sophie Kruk: “We are not the ones who want to stop work. We want to work.”

The union says the Conservative government hasn’t supported them at all, and they feel they are being pressured into strike action. However they add they are cautiously optimistic about reaching a settlement.