Apparently we should all be grateful that the postal strike that began at midnight last Thursday has yet to have a significant impact locally. Whether that’s due to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) opting for rotating strikes, or Canada Post abandoning its previous plan to shut down the entire postal system, is unclear. But it’s safe to say that for now, at least, the situation could be much worse than it is.
But for how much longer? Both sides are still at the bargaining table, which is a positive sign, but until there’s a settlement, each new day brings another surprise announcement of the next rotating strike location.
And it’s still very possible that a full-scale CUPW walkout, or the complete shutdown of Canada Post, or both, could happen at any moment.
Should any of these scenarios come to pass, CUPW and Canada Post are ready. Not so fortunate are Canadians who still rely on the postal system for a variety of important services; everything from pension cheques to utility bills to community newspaper delivery. Organizations and businesses that use the postal service can try to make contingency plans, but the volatility and uncertainty of the situation makes the effectiveness of those plans difficult to judge.
While the standoff between CUPW and Canada Post might be seen by some as an unfortunate but sometimes necessary part of the management-union relationship, the fact that average Canadians know nothing about the impact until it actually happens is unfair and unacceptable.
And all that will create is a continued loss of public faith in the postal service, which is already severely challenged by the rapid growth of email, Internet, electronic financial transactions, and other paperless communications.
In battling each other, CUPW and Canada Post may very well be digging their own graves.
