Tens of thousands of Canada Post workers went on strike as of Friday, November 15. The reason for the job action is familiar – the workers have concerns about wages and working conditions, in addition to other issues. Millions of Canadians, including those here in North Dundas, are undoubtedly wondering what this means for their mail service.
As is to be expected, Canada Post will not be delivering mail and parcels during the work stoppage, and will not be accepting new parcels and letters at post offices that remain open. This will hit Canadians hard during the crown corporation’s busiest time of year – the Christmas season. Many Canadians order Christmas gifts online this time of year, with some online merchants even offering a tool that identifies which packages an online shopper can expect to receive before Christmas, and which items may not be best as gifts because they would arrive too late. During the postal strike, these guaranteed delivery dates may not be trustworthy for merchants who specifically rely on Canada Post.
Since Purolator is a subsidiary of Canada Post, workers from that courier have vowed not to pick up any of Canada Post’s slack, in a show of solidarity. Those who have important online shopping to do are therefore encouraged to explore merchants that use other couriers, such as UPS and Fedex. The courier Dragonfly typically delivers packages from Amazon, and is not affected by the Canada Post shutdown.
One act of goodwill is certain to bring relief to many families – Canada Post and the workers’ union have agreed to continue delivering government cheques, including Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan earnings, and Canada Child Benefit payments for those who still receive these payments via cheque in the mail. Unfortunately, Canada Post has commented that the work stoppage will prevent letters to Santa from reaching the North Pole. Times readers are encouraged to stay tuned for an alternative plan to reach Santa, currently in the works.
While copies of the North Dundas Times will not be mailed out during the Canada Post work stoppage, they will continue to be available in partnership with local businesses throughout the township who will act as pick up locations. Please check the “ND Times in the Community” Facebook page for details on pick up locations.
Because of backlogs caused by the work stoppage, it is expected that, depending on the length of the job action, mail and parcel deliveries will continue to be delayed for a period of time even after the current strike comes to an end. As this is a developing news story, readers are encouraged to check information sources frequently to determine if the strike has ended.
