The rotating postal strikes hit Toronto Tuesday and mail delivery has been limited to three days a week across the country.
The same day, the TTC announced it would not be mailing out monthly passes for July because of the strike. Those who subscribe to the Metropass Discount Plan (MDP) will be affected, but organizations and institutions participating in the Volume Incentive Pass (VIP) program will not be affected.
The TTC is advising customers who normally receive their pass in the mail to buy one in person. The discount - $10 - will be credited to the customers' accounts.
Approximately 15,000 postal workers walked off the job in both Toronto and Montreal Tuesday. Many hit the picket lines at various Canada Post outlets across the GTA early Tuesday morning, including the sorting station on Eastern Avenue. A rally is planned for the sorting station on Tuesday evening.
“We didn’t want to go out, but we have to defend ourselves…They want to cut our benefits, they want to cut jobs. They want to save money on our backs,” said striking postal worker Eric Touloumis.
“We will be out here for as long as it takes for us to settle a fair contract,” said postal worker Rangit Singh.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has been holding 24-hour strikes across the country since June 3.
Canada Post announced last week there will be no mail delivery on Tuesdays and Thursdays while the job actions continue. The union claims the move was aimed at provoking a full-scale walkout, forcing the government to implement back-to-work legislation, which was the case during the 1997 postal strike.
The Crown corporation claims the job action has resulted in a 50 per cent decrease in mail items, compounding existing problems with its bottom line. Before the strike, Canada Post said it’s been forced to consider cost reductions to deal with a 17 per cent decrease in mail business since 2006.
The CUPW said it would stop the rotating strikes if Canada Post agreed to reinstate the old collective agreement. The offer was rejected.
Some of the main sticking points in negotiations have been a proposal to put new hired on a lower pay scale than existing workers and sick leave.