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

The Postal Workers Union issued a 72-hour strike notice earlier this week, saying it has been demanding fair wages, safer working conditions and other improvements over the course of nearly a year negotiations.

About 55,000 workers are on strike, the Postal Workers Union said.

In Alberta’s Capital Region, CUPW 730 asked 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,” James Ball, acting president of CUPW 730, told CTV News Edmonton. “We would have preferred to reach a negotiated solution six months ago, but we are not meeting anywhere. The sacrifices that will be made by our members are not small. These are big problems… and it is regrettable that this has an impact on 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