Seventeen members of the union representing Canada Post workers — including its president — were arrested after trying to cross police lines yesterday at the Crown corporation’s headquarters in Ottawa, according to news reports.
Starting at noon, teams of postal workers, union leaders and supporters tried to enter the headquarters. Their goal: Search the building for the strategic plans that Canada Post has refused to disclose publicly.
In March, postal workers gave a two-month ultimatum to Canada Post to release its strategic planning documents or the unions would search for them. At least a dozen people, including current and retired leaders of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, vowed to cross police barricades if necessary to search Canada Post headquarters.
Moya Greene, president/CEO of Canada Post, said last week that such documents do not exist.
According to reports, police set up the line after CUPW officials warned they planned to storm the building. As television cameras rolled, union members walked toward the police lines and were quickly arrested. CUPW president Deborah Bourque and former president Jean Claude Parrot were among those charged with trespassing.
Canada Post has already announced it is closing a plant in Quebec City.
CUPW represents about 54,000 postal workers nationwide.
