Revelstoke’s Canada Post workers are among the 55,000 postal workers who went on strike Friday, Nov. 15, according to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
On Oct. 29, Canada Post presented new offers to the CUPW for both the Urban and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers bargaining units. While no labour disruption was allowed to occur before Nov. 3, the cooling-off period ended, prompting the strike.
In a press release on Nov. 12, CUPW issued a strike notice announcing that postal workers will be locked out of work as of 8 a.m. on Nov. 15 if agreements cannot be reached.
“As we face contract negotiations, Canada Post has set a harsh tone and is demanding concessions that would hurt not just us but also our families and, ultimately, the quality of service we can provide to Revelstoke,” Janice Jarvis, long-term employee of the local Canada Post team office wrote on the Revelstoke community Facebook page.
Like Revelstoke, rural and remote communities throughout the country depend heavily on Canada Post for essential services such as passport renewals, government cheques, SIN numbers or even medication delivery. With private, for-profit courier companies either not providing services or failing to offer a comprehensive range of delivery options, any disruption in Canada Post services affects residents and businesses during the particularly busy holiday season.
“We don’t want to strike. We want to continue serving our community, but we also want fair treatment,” Jarvis added.
Local businesses navigate the strike
Several businesses in town have already seen the impacts of the strike. Some have had to switch to other delivery options, such as Kat Cadegan Jewellery.
“The strike will be disruptive to my business because a lot of my suppliers ship using Canada Post, but we have primarily moved over to UPS and FedEx, so we will be able to maintain the delivery of our products to our clients for business as usual,” owner Kat Cadegan told the Mountaineer.
This alternative solution may come with a higher cost that some small businesses cannot afford, describing a 30 per cent to 50 per cent increase – an unrealistic charge to put on customers, local embroiderer Sophie Rose said.
“Most of my hoops are purchased in person so the strike isn’t a major hit, but I have taken the option of shipping off my website while I figure out an alternative, depending on how long the strike might last,” Rose said.
Holm Coffee co-owner Isabelle Lamoureux shared that she switched to Clickship, and said the ecommerce company offers cheaper rates than Canada Post for her particular needs.
When talking to the Revelstoke strikers on the morning of Nov. 15, the group said they will continue to follow the nationwide movement until necessary. During previous strikes, such as in 2018, the federal government tabled back-to-work legislation with the postal workers after a month of rotating strikes.
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