Welcome back to Inside the Village, a one-of-a-kind podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits.
On this week's episode: We deliver your questions to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
A nationwide strike by 55,000 Canada Post employees is now three weeks old, with few signs of a deal in sight — and Christmas fast approaching.
Not surprisingly, a lot of frustrated Canadians have criticized mail carriers for walking off the job at the height of the holiday season. And as each day passes, the Trudeau government faces mounting pressure to end the standoff with back-to-work legislation.
Jim Gallant is at the centre of the ongoing uncertainty. A veteran negotiator with the union, he joins us on the podcast to talk about what the workers are fighting for, and what needs to happen to get a deal done.
At one point during the interview, we asked if he has a message for those Canadians who blame postal workers for "cancelling Christmas."
“I represent 55,000 members that won’t have Christmas either," he replied. “We don’t want to be out here. We want to be delivering the mail. I’m a 36-year employee and the last thing I want to do is screw up anybody’s Christmas.”
Inside the Village — hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media — is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.
Every episode can be found HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.
Have something to say? You can reach us at itv@villagemedia.ca.
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