Calgary

Postal strike hits Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Edmonton

Postal workers are off the job in centres across Alberta as part of a rolling, rotating strike strategy by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. Service will be affected for 24 hours starting from 8 a.m. Monday.

Union is rotating pickets across the country as it pushes for new contract

Postal workers are off the job Monday in several Alberta centres. Those cities will be without service for 24 hours, ending Tuesday at 8 a.m. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Postal workers are on strike in Calgary, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Edmonton on Monday. 

It's part of a rolling, rotating strike strategy by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, who have been without contracts for almost a year. 

It means those cities will be without service for 24 hours, starting from 8 a.m. on Monday. 

Negotiations between the union and the government began in November 2017. Mediated talks started in January. 

The collective agreement for the rural and suburban letter carriers, with about 8,000 members, expired Dec. 31, 2017, while the collective agreement for the urban postal operations unit, which has 42,000 members, expired Jan. 31, 2018.

Monday marks the second time Calgary postal workers have walked off the job since the rotating strikes started on Oct. 22.

The union says it's pushing for improved job security, an end to forced overtime and better health and safety measures.