Hard to keep public support for striking Canada Post workers, experts say

Public support has been key for Canada Post workers as they halted mail delivery across the country, but maintaining that support had been getting harder as the strike dragged on, experts say.

Public support has been key for Canada Post workers as they halted mail delivery across the country, but maintaining that support had been getting harder as the strike dragged on, experts say.

"As strikes wear on, they become more difficult to sustain, and if the public is not rallying behind you, it can be demoralizing for the union," said Brock University labour professor Larry Savage.

More than 55,000 postal workers have been off the job in a strike that has lasted more than four weeks. However, an end may be in sight.

With the two sides seemingly still far apart, federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said on Friday that he's asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to look into whether a negotiated deal is possible before the end of the year.

If the board decides it's not possible, MacKinnon is asking that it order workers back on the job and extend the terms of the current collective agreements until May 22, 2025. In the meantime, a commission would examine the dispute and provide recommendations on how new deals can be reached.

Canadian Union of Postal Workers negotiator Jim Gallant says on the picket lines, Canada Post workers have been getting the support they need -- plus coffee, doughnuts, fried chicken, knitted hats and socks, and even turkeys from citizens.

But Savage said he feels overall public opinion has been mixed so far on the strike.