By the end of the month, there could be a disruption in Canada Post mail delivery, according to the union representing letter carriers. Many Canadians began receiving notices in some of their bills this month warning them about a work stoppage at Canada Post and making alternate plans in order to avoid late fees.
A work stoppage could affect 50,000 workers, including rural delivery agents, as well as urban letter carriers and plant workers. About 6,000 rural postal workers have been without a contract since the end of December and the 48,000 urban workers have been without a contract since the end of January.
Mike Palecek, national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), said that they have been sounding the alarm about this for several months ever since Canada Post applied for conciliation help back in April at the start of negotiations. Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have been in contract negotiations since late 2015 to reach a new agreement for about 50,000 workers.
“Every indication that we have right now is that Canada Post is preparing to lock us out sometime in early July,” said Palecek. “The earliest they could legally do that is July 2. We’re hoping to get a negotiated, collective agreement. But we’re not sure Canada Post has that same goal.”
Jon Hamilton, a spokesperson with Canada Post, said they understand Canadians do not want a disruption in service. At the same time, their goal is to reach a settlement that’s fair to the employees, affordable to the corporation and doesn’t burden customers with extra costs.
“Canadians are changing the way they’re using the postal system and we need to adjust,” explained Hamilton.
“Today we deliver five days a week on a normal period, during business hours. Online shoppers are going online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so our old model doesn’t really fit the new way people are shopping.”
For the Weyburn Review, the postal disruption will affect subscribers who receive the paper via Canada Post, but will not affect those who receive the paper by door-to-door delivery within the city of Weyburn.
The Review is trying to set up a couple of options to be able to continue to receive the newspaper if there is a Canada Post Strike.
“For those who live within the vicinity of Weyburn, we will be attempting to set up a pickup spot at a business in their community on Thursdays when we go out with the Weyburn This Week. If this is not available, then they can still have the option of picking up their newspaper at the Weyburn Review office,” said publisher Rick Major.
“For those who live outside our immediate area, the only option will be a digital copy. We are investing in a new digital edition program. This will provide some enhanced features from what we currently do with our newspaper,” he said.
“We are asking that customers contact us with their email address, visit our office or call us so we can best set up the service that will work best for them as it relates to both delivery and alternate billing and payment arrangements,” said Major.
CUPW says they’ve tried to get Canada Post to address the future and talk about services Canadians need, such as postal banking. “They’ve refused to talk about these,” said Palecek.
“Their approach is to keep cutting jobs, cutting services and they think they can cut their way to growth and we’re telling them that’s just not going to happen.”
A labour disruption in 2011 lasted nearly three weeks before the Conservative government passed back-to-work legislation, which the Supreme Court of Ontario later found to be unjust.
