Manitoba prepares for potential Canada Post lockout

In the event Canada Post employees strike or get locked out, the province says it will establish pickup locations to ensure Manitobanscontinue to getmail from the government.

• Canada Post workers press Liberals to restore home delivery, add postal banking

Canada Post began informing "high-volume senders" recently of a potential work stoppage in early July, said Glenn Bennett, Winnipeg local president of Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).

Manitoba will have cheques and other important mail, like health cards,available for pickup as of Monday, June 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday at various locations.

Manitobans expecting mail can contact the applicable department to find out where to go.For a list, see below.

Bennett said people should expect a work stoppage atCanada Post.

"It's clear to me that the corporation doesn't want to negotiate a contract and that they'll be moving forth to a lockout at some point early in July," he said.

The last labour dispute at Canada Post was in 2011 when a rotating strike turned into a lockout. At the time,Winnipeg was the first city to strike because it was the first city to undergo Canada Post's modernization program.

The 2011 labour disruption lasted nearly three weeks and ended when Conservatives passed back-to-work legislation. The Supreme Court of Ontario later found the legislation to be unjust, said Bennett.

The union's relationship with the new federal government shows signs of improvement since then, he said.

"We've had some positive answers coming out of the Liberal government," he said.

"It would be nice to have a negotiated settlement. But it seems Canada Post is set on locking the doors."

If a work stoppage at Canada Post does not take place, the Manitoba government said mail will resume as quickly as possible.

To find out more about locations for mail pickup in Manitoba, the province supplied this contact list:

• New and replacement health cards and temporary out-of-province certificates can be picked up on the main floor at 300 Carlton St.
• For information on maintenance enforcement cheques, call 204-945-1761 or email the program atManitobaMEPInquiries@gov.mb.ca.
• For regular cheques by mail from the Public Guardian and Trustee, contact the Adult Services Administrator directly to make alternate arrangements.
• For information about Employment Manitoba cheques and where to pick up, call 204-9450575 in Winnipeg or 1-866-332-5077 (toll-free).
• For information about Disaster Financial Assistance cheques and where to pick up, call
• 204-945-3030 in Winnipeg or 1-888-267-8298 (toll-free).
• For information about Workers Compensation Board cheques and where to pick up, call
• 204-954-4321 in Winnipeg or 1-855-954-4321 (toll-free).
• Tax return due dates remain unchanged. Visitwww.gov.mb.ca/finance/taxation for more information.
• Manitoba housing cheques, including STAT55, rent supplement and portable housing benefit, are to be picked up at 200-352 Donald St.