10:24 AM EST, 11/12/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has given 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post, The Canadian Press is reporting Tuesday, noting the notice is for both the union's urban and rural and suburban bargaining units.

In a release early Tuesday morning, the union says workers will be in a legal strike position as of Friday if negotiated settlements have not been reached. However, the union says its national executive board has yet to decide if a job action will happen at the deadline, saying that will depend on Canada Post's actions at the bargaining table in the coming days.

"After almost a year of bargaining, despite our best efforts, the parties remain far apart on many issues," the union said in statement.

This comes as The Globe and Mail is reporting that Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has ordered the Canada Industrial Relations Board to intervene in labour disputes at Canadian ports in a move to impose binding arbitration.

The decision on Tuesday by MacKinnon will affect four B.C. ports, the Port of Montreal and the Port of Quebec, the Globe report noted.

"I have directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations and functions at the ports, and to assist the parties by imposing final and binding arbitration," he said in a statement. "I have also directed the board to extend the term of the existing collective agreements until new ones are reached."

Tuesday's report noted the BC Maritime Employers Association locked out about 730 ship and dock forepersons on Nov. 4, hours after the union started what it called limited strike action that included a ban on overtime.

Members of Local 514 are supervisors of 7,400 workers at the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada.

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