Canadian Postal Workers Return

Canadian postal workers Thursday grudgingly ended a two-week strike under threat of heavy fines, but they vowed to show defiance by misdirecting corporate mail and handling regular letters even if unstamped.

Most of the 45,000 strikers returned to their jobs at midday, complying with back-to-work legislation passed by the federal government Wednesday night. Workers who defied the order faced fines of about $700 a day.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said employees would find other ways to show their bitterness over the back-to-work order, which imposed a wage increase below that offered by the postal service during contract talks.

A prime target will be mail sent by government agencies and big corporations, said union president Darrell Tingley.

“I don’t know where their mail will go,” he said. “Something supposed to go to Vancouver could end up in Taiwan. … Machines might make some mistakes.”

He invited the public to mail letters without stamps, promising these would be delivered through the end of December.