Postal workers 'very confused, very angry' about imposed end to strike

A St. John's union leader says striking postal workers in his shop are not at all happy about a labour board decision that will force an end Tuesday to a month-long strike.

Craig Dyer said Monday that the members he had spoken with were "very confused, very angry that the government will take away the rights to negotiate a collective agreement."

The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered a return to work as the weekend ended, complying with an order two days earlier from federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon, who directed the board to order 55,000 striking workers back to work if a deal could not be reached.

Canada Post said operations will resume Tuesday.

But Dyer, who is president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers local in St. John's, said the union had not received the text of the order by early Monday morning. Instead, he said, news of it leaked through the news and social media.

"On Thursday, their negotiating committee reached out to our negotiating committee, asked a few questions and that was the end of it. And then 24 hours later we're being ordered back to work," Dyer said in an interview with CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.

"We believe that it was orchestrated this way."

Union leaders were expecting to learn the actual details of the order later Monday, and would communicate with CUPW members.

As to whether striking postal workers will all report for work Tuesday, Dyer said he "did not have that crystal ball to help you."

He added, "I can tell you our members are upset."

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