Postal workers say they’re more relevant than ever
Striking workers say online commerce, legal cannabis are latest game-changers
As a countrywide rotating strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers hit Calgary, unionized Canada Post employees on the picket line say their work is more relevant than ever thanks to online shopping and legal cannabis.
With online shopping and electronic bills becoming the norm in an increasingly paperless world, postal clerk Cindy Wagner said she has friends who think the postal service is “obsolete.”
But as mail carriers are also being tasked with delivering everything from magazines to pre-assembled barbecues, Wagner said benefits and unpaid overtime hours haven’t kept up with new demands on staff.
Wagner said workers hurt on the job don’t get compensation for the first five days of time off, unless the worker needs to be admitted to hospital.
“If you’re injured, you better be really injured, because if you just need to be off for the week, then I guess you’re asking for leave without pay unless you’re immediately hospitalized.”
Thirty-four-year Canada Post veteran Arla Mepham said one in 12 postal workers were injured on the job over the past two years, and a 2015 report on workplace incidents in federal jurisdictions found postal contractors made up 19 per cent of all reported disabling injuries.
In 2015, 7.21 out of every 100 postal contractors with Canada Post, a federal Crown corporation, were hurt on the job.
Mepham said those injuries mainly come from letter carriers being required to deliver parcels, which wasn’t the case when she started with the company.
“Our job has changed from the traditional letter carrier ... and, along with that, the rules of how we do our job need to change,” Mepham said.
As of last week, Canada Post is also taking on an additional load, delivering legal cannabis ordered online from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis.
Carriers are essentially cannabis gatekeepers due to AGLC policy requiring online cannabis customers to produce identification before carriers can release the product.
“Anything you can order online comes through our plant, and people love their online shopping,” Wagner said.
She added some Calgarians might think the Canada Post disruption won’t affect their online deliveries through couriers such as Purolator.
But the majority owner of Purolator is actually Canada Post, and Wagner said many packages picked up by some delivery companies come through Canada Post’s Calgary port of call.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers announced on social media that locals in Calgary and Red Deer went on strike as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton said the corporation has put a “significant offer on the table,” including benefit improvements and a wage increase.
Hamilton said the increased volume of packages has caused both “opportunities and challenges” for Canada Post, adding there is a misconception among some Canadians on what Canada Post’s role is in the e-commerce marketplace.
CUPW, which represents 50,000 Canada Post employees, started rotating strikes in four cities across the country earlier this week.
The strike in Calgary was set to end at 6 p.m. on Thursday, but Mepham said it’s possible Calgary could go through another round of disruptions if the strike drags on.
The City of Calgary announced Monday it made arrangements to ensure the continuity of customer service and business operations during any disruption of postal service.
Officials said the province has an agreement with Canada Post to ensure Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit and Alberta Child Benefit cheques are delivered in the event of a postal disruption. Payments are expected to be delivered within a few days of regular delivery.
Plans are also underway to ensure cheques are distributed for income support, AISH, Family Support for Children with Disabilities and Persons with Developmental Disabilities benefits.
Recipients are being encouraged to arrange for direct deposit to avoid any payment delays.
Our job has changed from the traditional letter carrier ... and, along with that, the rules of how we do our job need to change.