While the Canadian Union of Postal Workers' (CUPW) rotating strike action has not hit Yorkton, thousands of residents have nevertheless seen disruptions in their mail.
Home delivery of mail in urban centres across Canada has been restricted to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting this week as carriers' schedules are reduced. Canada Post says the measure is a response to a 50 per cent drop in mail volume due to consumer uncertainty in the face of postal worker job action.
The union contends that the action is a "partial lockout" and part of a plan by Canada Post to provoke back-to-work legislation from the government.
But even before this week, many Yorkton residents were not receiving their regular mail deliveries, says the CUPW. According to James Rohatynsky, secretary/treasurer of CUPW Local 860 (Yorkton), about 500 homes in the city per day were not receiving mail during the week of June 6. These disruptions were the result of earlier cost-saving cuts to employee hours and overtime by Canada Post.
The union's central demands revolve around proposed contract changes by Canada Post, including alterations to sick time benefits and implementation of a new delivery system that Rohatynsky says will require carriers to haul more weight and more bundles on their rounds.
The union is also opposed to a plan to cut starting wages from $23 per hour to $19.
"People can't afford to work at Canada Post at that low a wage to start with," says Rohatynsky.
"They're going to be looking at having to have another job for sure."
Canada Post argues that the lower starting wage will free up money to improve wages and benefits for veteran employees.
If the strike does hit Yorkton, Rohatynsky says it will happen with minimal advance notice.
