The Chronicle Herald union to meet with company, 4 months into strike
Strike began Jan. 23 and since then, there has been little contact between the two sides
After four months on the picket lines, unionized workers at The Chronicle Herald newspaper in Halifax will sit down with management Friday.
The Halifax Typographical Union, which represents the 57 striking editorial staff, announced on its Facebook page earlier in the week that the company had agreed to talk.
"Meetings are scheduled for Friday, but forgive us if we don't have especially high expectations," the posting read.
On Friday morning, HTU president Ingrid Bulmer said they were still waiting for details on the meeting with a mediator from the Industrial Relations Board.
"We are waiting for a definitive word on a potential meeting. We can't say how long such a meeting might last," she wrote in an email to CBC News.
The strike began Jan. 23 and since then, there has been little contact between the two sides.
The union has accused management of trying to bust the local.
"The take-it-or-leave-it contract they offered back in January contained so many significant concessions on our part, labour experts across Canada said it was nothing more than an attempt to dismantle the union," the Facebook post continued.
The Chronicle Herald has repeatedly said it faces financial problems and needs concessions, including cuts to wages and staff.
The union said Friday there would be a news blackout on any information coming from the talks.