Some mail and parcels are expected to start moving again as

Canada Post

workers move from a nationwide strike to rotating strikes.

The

Canadian Union of Postal Workers

(CUPW) said Thursday that its members will be on the picket lines on a rotating basis starting Saturday morning, and that “Locals that will be rotating out will be informed closer to the time when they will take action,” according to the statement.

Canada Post has yet to comment on the CUPW decision.

The union said it did not take its decision to launch the strike on Sept. 25 “lightly.”

“Postal workers would much rather have new collective agreements and be delivering mail instead of taking strike action,” it said.

The move follows a meeting on Wednesday between the union and Joël Lightbound, the minister responsible for Canada Post.

During the meeting, CUPW said it called on the minister to rescind the

planned service cuts

he announced on Sept. 25 but he told them the announcements would stand.

The minister will reach out to the union again within a few days, CUPW said.

CUPW members walked off the job two weeks ago in response to changes to the government mandate for Canada Post.

Lightbound instructed the Crown corporation to ease its delivery standards in an effort to “stabilize” its financial situation.

  • Canada Post to ease deliveries to save on costs
  • Canada Post records worst-ever quarterly loss

The union said the recommendations could result in major job losses and that changes to delivery standards could impact mail volumes and overall confidence in the service.

More to come…

• Email: dpaglinawan@postmedia.com