Canada Post workers in Sudbury 'angry and frustrated' at return-to-work order

Canada Post workers in the Sudbury area are angry and frustrated at a decision forcing them back to work, according to the president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 612.

"We have put up four weeks of our time on the line to fight for a fair negotiated contract for our members and, you know, we wanted to get the service for the public out there. That's our job that we want to do," said Charlene Bradley, who represents around 300 Canada Post workers in the Sudbury District.

On Friday, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order the 55,000 strike Canada Post workers back to work by Tuesday morning.

Canada Post confirmed it will implement a five per cent wage increase retroactive to the day after the collective agreements expired.

But that falls short of the 24 per cent wage increase over four years the union has asked for.

Workers' contracts have been extended until May, at which point negotiations between Canada Post and the union are set to resume.

"What happens in May?" Are you going to do the same process again?" Bradley asked.

"Are you going to find this loophole, go to the CIRB and say, 'Legislate us back to work in May'? So this is an attack to all unions."

Bradley said the CIRB's decision to force workers back to work sets a precedent that could apply to other unions as well.

"They interfered in our right to collective bargaining," she said.

As for the backlog Canada Post workers will need to tackle when they return to work, Bradley said it wouldn't be the first time they have a to catch up on mail delivery.

"We're OK with that," she said.  "You know, we'll get it out."

Canada Post says it takes 48 hours to ramp up its operations, so it says there will be no pick up or drop off of products until Thursday, Dec. 19