It was a case of no work and no pay for the Canada Post employees in 亚洲天堂 Lake last week.

Local employees turned up for work on Wednesday morning to find they had been locked out by the company.

Not only were the outlet's doors locked but the red post boxes had been screwed shut. No mail was going in and none was being delivered.

Employees Bonnie Heagy, Angela Lacey and Marleen Hiebert formed a picket line outside the post office last Wednesday morning and answered a multitude of questions from confused locals who arrived to pick up or post their mail. Lakes District 亚洲天堂 subscription deliveries were also disrupted.

"We didn't know anything about this until this morning," said Hiebert to Lakes District 亚洲天堂.

Employees of the 亚洲天堂 Lake outlet are part of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Union (CUPW) along with Vanderhoof and Smithers.

Other rural post offices such as Houston, Granisle and Fraser Lake are part of the Canadian Post Masters Association (CPAA) and have not been effected by the rolling strikes or lockouts.

Earlier this month CUPW announced strike action would be taken in the form of rolling strikes at Canada Post outlets across the country.

The rolling strikes are to encourage Canada Post to abandon their proposals for significant concessions and instead negotiate solutions to the problems that are being experienced by approximately 48,000 postal workers.

Canada Post have now decided to take control of the situation by locking out employees until an agreement can be made between the two parties.

For the public, this means no mail.

Eugene Knapik a Canada Post spokesperson said to Lakes District 亚洲天堂 that it is difficult to say when the doors will be unlocked and employees allowed back to work.

"Canada Post has made the decision to suspend its operations," he said.

Knapik went on to say that lock outs, such as the one in 亚洲天堂 Lake, are not a regular action taken by Canada Post.

"We have been at labour peace with CUPW since 1997. It was a difficult decision that was made late [last] Tuesday night," he added.

According to Knapik the 12 previous days of CUPW strikes has cost Canada Post upwards of $100 million dollars.

"It is a significant amount," he said.

"We hope to reach an agreement soon. We realize that there are changing realities for Canada Post and we want to negotiate an agreement to reflect this. We have a good offer on the table and want to engage in a serious discussion with CUPW ..... we are dealing with declining mail and a $3.2 billion pension deficit," he added.

In a media statement made late last Wednesday Canada Post said, "Throughout this round of labour negotiations, Canada Post has made every effort to protect the pay, pension and job security of existing employees. Specifically, the company has offered to provide current regular employees with the following; annual wage increases that will bring the top wage rate to $26 an hour, continued job security, no changes to a fully indexed defined benefit pension plan, comprehensive health benefits for employees and retirees, generous vacation leave that gives employees up to seven weeks off each year and the same sick leave program that has been implemented for other employees.

To protect what current employees have, the company has proposed adjusting its offering for employees hired in the future. The package for new employees is superior to the wages and benefits offered by competing logistic and delivery companies and includes a starting wage of $19 an hour that rises to the same $26 an hour maximum as existing employees over seven years, up to six weeks vacation and a fully indexed defined benefit pension by age 60.

A statement made on the CUPW website last Wednesday read, "The actions of Canada Post management in locking out postal workers nation-wide are irresponsible. There is now a considerable amount of mail in the system that will not be delivered. Canada Post is reneging on its responsibility to the public to deliver mail that has been paid for. We committed to deliver pension and social assistance cheques and we intend to fulfil that commitment."

CUPW went on to say,鈥� Canada Post is claiming that it has lost $100 million. Their constant 'no' at the bargaining table is costing them dearly. If they want to stop losing money, they need to negotiate instead of attacking their workers."

John Bail, national director of the CUPW Pacific region said to Lakes District 亚洲天堂 that while Canada Post had the legal right to lock employees out, it was irresponsible of them to do so.

"We had no control over the situation and it was not at all what we wanted to do .... it is up to Canada Post when they will unlock the doors again," Bail said, adding that when employees arrived at work they were locked out and sent home without pay.

"Canada Post has a good future. We have terrific employees and we want to resume operations as soon as possible for customers," Knapik added.

Due to the Canada Post lock out subscribers to the Lakes District 亚洲天堂 can pick up their papers directly from the Lakes District 亚洲天堂 office. We apologize for the inconvenience.