A nationwide strike by postal workers is underway, including in Windsor.
Tish Glenn, President of CUPW Windsor Local 630, says that the local members hit the picket lines Thursday night and will remain on the picket line until further notice.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) declared a countrywide strike early Thursday evening, just hours after Ottawa announced that door-to-door mail delivery would end for nearly all Canadian households within the next decade.
Glenn, who represents over 500 members in Windsor, says the members are incredibly frustrated by announcement made by Minister Lightbound on Thursday.
She says Canada Post has been lacking communication with the union.
"There's 55,000 CUPW members that had to find out about the quote - 'new measures', and how they would affect their work and their future of the public post office at the same time as the rest of Canada. So there wasn't a conversation with us, and then a further press conference - we found out the same time as the rest of Canada."
Glenn says they just want a fair bargaining process.
"If Canada Post would just stop, and focus on negotiating on a collective agreement, that can increase the parcel volumes, instead of this constant and direct attack on our workers... we would already be on a pathway to sustainability."
She says the members are incredibly frustrated.
"They do not want this, folks just want to work. It's the uncertainty of knowing what is going to happen tomorrow. So there's a lot of frustration, they're upset. I don't even have full words to put into place for the emotion that is going on right now within our organization."
Glenn adds that they are so grateful for the community support through this challenging time.
"How they've stood with us, how they've passed us and honked their horns, how they've screamed out 'solidarity'. We're very fortunate here in this community to have what we have. When we're going through these trying times, and there's been so many folks going through these trying times, we've been very fortunate to have the community standing behind us."
She says the members will be picketing at the main sorting plant on Walker Road, the site at 11910 Tecumseh Road East, the downtown location at 176 University Avenue, and the Rural & Suburban Mail Carrier office on Patillo Road.
CUPW represents over 55,000 workers across the country.
On Thursday evening, Canada Post stated they are disappointed that the union chose to escalate their strike activity, which will "further deteriorate Canada Post's financial situation".
Canada Post's operations will be completely shut down during the strike.