Canada Post employees in the Edmonton area are joining the nationwide strike

Canada Post employees in the Edmonton area walked off the job Friday as a nationwide strike began.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers announced a 72-hour strike earlier this week, saying it is calling for fair wages, safer working conditions and other improvements during nearly a year of negotiations.

About 55,000 workers are striking, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said.

In Alberta’s capital region, CUPW asked 730 workers not to report to work starting Friday morning and instead go to the picket line.

There are three picket lines in Edmonton, one in St. Albert and one in Sherwood Park.

“It’s very disappointing for everyone involved, we’d rather not do this,” CUPW 730 interim president James Ball told CTV News Edmonton. “We would have preferred to reach a negotiated solution six months ago, but we are not meeting anywhere. The sacrifices our members will make are not small. These are big problems… and it’s a shame that this will have consequences for the public.”

Mail and packages will not be delivered during the strike and some post offices will be closed, Canada Post said.

A number of City of Edmonton services will be affected during the strike.

With files from The Canadian Press