The World : Strike Halts Canada Mail

A standoff between 100 striking letter carriers and police in Halifax, Nova Scotia, halted mail deliveries from Canada’s Atlantic region sorting station, and minor clashes were reported in other cities in the third day of a carriers’ strike. State-owned Canada Post is scheduled to present a new contract offer to the 20,000-member Letter Carriers Union of Canada, but the union remains pessimistic. The union, which lacks a strike fund, has ordered sporadic walkouts rather than attempting an all-out stoppage. Canada Post is demanding contract concessions to help it meet government orders to eradicate a $99-million operating deficit by next March.