Canada Post employees stage protest at Minister of Labour, Patty Hajdu's office

More than a dozen Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) walked into the Minister of Labour, Employment and Workforce Development's office, asking her staff to listen to their concerns in the labour dispute between the union and Canada Post.

Patty Hajdu, who is also the MP for Thunder Bay - Superior North was not in her constituency office, but in Ottawa, tabling legislation that would force the postal workers to end their rotating strikes.

"We had Patty Hajdu flyers to deliver today. Go figure," said Ruby Lockwood, a Rural and Suburban Mail Carrier for Canada Post.

"She's slamming us in the face and we have to go deliver her flyers and smile. That was a joke. And that was just like a kick in the face to us from Patty Hajdu."

Lockwood said more than a dozen employees would have liked to show up to the rally, but instead were delivering mail on their routes.

"We're in the middle of a labour dispute, and your government, your Minister, your employer has opted to contribute to time of backlog and employment strife by issuing flyers that increase the letter carrier's daily burden," said Brendan Roy, the CUPW vice-president in Thunder Bay.

There are 250 employees of Canada Post in the city.

"I'd like to know how many of you folks are injured, and have been injured by your job," asked Melanie Kelso to Hajdu's staff.

"Because I can guarantee every one of us postal workers have been injured more than once."

Hajdu said in a statement that the government believes the two sides should still be able to negotiate a deal, and she encourages both parties to work out a deal before legislation is passed.