Unifor serves 72-hour strike notice to DHL Express across Canada

TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2013 /CNW/ - Unifor has served 72-hour notice of legal strike action on behalf of its members working at DHL Express across Canada.  A strike will commence in all provinces represented by Unifor across Canada if a fair agreement is not reached by December 5, 2013.

Unifor represents more than 600 DHL workers across the country in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Unifor members in various locals have voted on average 98 per cent in favour of a strike if necessary during a series of votes held over the last two months.

"Unifor is prepared to take on the struggle for courier workers across Canada and our members are prepared to strike if necessary to achieve a fair contract," said Bob Orr, assistant to the National President.

"Our bargaining committees have been working for over six months to achieve a fair agreement.  DHL has stalled on addressing the key issues and their proposals do not reflect the contributions that our members have made towards the success of DHL," he added.

Unifor members at DHL Express deliver and pick up packages across Canada, including international freight. Negotiations have been ongoing since May 2013 and continued throughout the weekend in Toronto starting on November 29.

DHL is part of the world's leading postal and logistics Group, Deutsche Post DHL, and encompasses three divisions: DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, Freight and DHL Supply Chain.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, with than 300,000 workers across Canada. Unifor was founded on Labour Day weekend by the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP).

SOURCE: Unifor the union

Bob Orr, Assistant to the National President [phone] or Unifor National Representatives: Len Poirier (Ontario) [phone], Todd Romanow (Alberta) [phone], Gavin McGarrigle (British Columbia) [phone], Ken Stuart (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) [phone], Carla Bryden (Nova Scotia) [phone] or, or Stuart Laidlaw (Unifor Communications) [phone].