Alberta small business owners react to possible end to Canadas postal strike [Video]

Small business owners say Ottawa’s latest moves to try to force an end to the country’s nearly month-long postal strike come too late to save this year’s holiday shopping season.

On Friday, the federal government said the mail could begin moving again as soon as next week, after Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon announced he had referred the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, asking it to order the 55,000 members of CUPW back to work.

Saying negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers “were at a total impasse,” McKinnon also announced he is also appointing an industrial inquiry commission to come up with recommendations by May 15 on how a new contract agreement can be reached.

On the picket lines, members of CUPW denounced the government’s move as an assault on the right to collective bargaining.

“Once again, the government has intervened in a process …