A Canada Post spokesman said yesterday that a mediator has brought the company and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers closer to a deal preventing a postal strike later this week.
“We are confident we are going to get this deal, and all of our energies are focused on doing just that,” Canada Post’s John Caines said. “We have confident people on both sides of the table, and we've got a mediator there helping us along, and we are hopeful we are going to get a successful conclusion to this thing.”
Caines wouldn't elaborate on what remains to be settled, though key issues reportedly are still on the table.
The CUPW is optimistic as well. A statement on its Web site dated July 13 said that the pace of negotiations has picked up considerably since the union set a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. July 18.
The last CUPW strike in 1997 shut down postal service for 14 days.
