Mail is on its way this week with previously striking Canada Post employees back to work, but that also means porch pirates may be at the ready. 

While there haven't been many reports of thefts in Aldergrove lately, members of the 91Ô­´´ RCMP anticipate calls to pick up as Christmas Day approaches and packages are delivered again, said Cst. Dennis Bell. 

Some ways to protect personal belongings are: 

- remove valuables from vehicles

- close overhead garage doors and garage windows

- lock any doors leading to or from the garage 

- turn on exterior lights

- close and lock all windows

- keep vehicle keys and FOBs away from the main entrance door of your house 

"The 91Ô­´´ RCMP encourages all residents to report any thefts from their residences, along with reporting any suspicious activity in the area," Bell added. 

Postal workers under the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went back to work on Tuesday, Dec. 17, after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) found that both sides were too far apart to come to terms before the end of the calendar year.

The federal government intervened in the month-long labour dispute on Friday when Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon asked the CIRB to see if there was any way a deal could get done. The CIRB held hearings on Dec. 14 and 15, with the decision that there was impasse between the union and the employer, thus ordering striking workers back on the job.

Both sides will continue working under the terms of the expired agreement until May 22, 2025. Canada Post also offered a five per cent pay hike to employees returning to work retroactive to when the collective agreements first expired.