Canada Post strike is highly disrespectful of Canadians: minister – National [Video]

As the Canada Post strike nears the three-week mark, the federal labour minister called the nationwide mail stoppage “highly disrespectful” of Canadians.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday, Steven MacKinnon said he has been in regular contact with special mediator, Peter Simpson, to see where both parties stand after mediated talks were temporarily suspended last week.

“I’ve been in daily discussions with … the mediator who is shuttling between the parties to see if there is a reasonable prospect that mediation, if it resumes, it will succeed. He has not yet given me that advice,” MacKinnon said.

“The parties are still very far apart, and that is in my view, among other things, highly disrespectful of Canadians who are suffering through this work stoppage, small businesses, people in rural and remote communities who rely on Canada Post’s services and these parties have to knuckle down and get the work done.”

By Wednesday, the Canadian Federation of Independent …