Dozens of Canada Post workers gathered outside a distribution center in east Toronto reacted with a mix of frustration, disappointment and hope Friday morning as Ottawa announced it was about to end their nearly month-long work stoppage.
Nearly a month later, some striking workers in yellow jackets were glued to the phone to find out the details of the announcement, which affects about 55,000 workers.
Others were discussing evolution as they stood around a fire they had set up to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures.
Postal worker Kirk Gonsen said he was disappointed that while a new collective bargaining agreement could not be reached, he was glad those struggling to pay bills and rent would soon be taking home paychecks.
“I think it's unfortunate that this is the resolution we've come to,” he said.
“But I'm happy that people, my colleagues who are suffering … will be able to go back to work and earn some money.”
Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Labor Minister Steven McKinnon said Crown Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers were at an “impasse” that prompted the federal government to intervene.
McKinnon said he is asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order workers back to work and extend their current contract until next May, if a deal can't be reached by the end of this year.
He announced that he would investigate why talks between the two sides had failed and what could be done to make a new deal possible.
Gonsen said he has no choice but to be optimistic about the investigation. “For my own emotional stability,” he said, “you have to hope that a good resolution comes out of this.”
The union said that this decision is an attack on the rights of workers
The union, which began a work stoppage on Nov. 15, condemned Ottawa's decision, calling it a “blow” to workers' rights.
Workers outside the facility in Toronto's east end said they don't believe Canada Post is negotiating in good faith, a charge the corporation denies.
Another member of the union, Helen Karandzas, said she was “disappointed” to see staff ordered back to work before a proper deal was reached.
“We work hard. We deserve a living wage, and upper management at Canada Post doesn't seem willing to negotiate,” she said.
The launch of the investigation is an interesting move, said fellow union member Gerard Van Dielen.
He said, 'Now we will form a commission and go into negotiations.
“I can only hope that the commission finds something about management's reluctance to budge an inch.”
Another worker, Denise Castor, said she and her co-workers had always wanted to go back to work, but hoped they would be able to do so after the settlement.
“They want to take it away from us. They're claiming, you know, we're greedy and we want more. We just want justice,” she said.
“I guess we'll have to wait until May to see what happens with that.”
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