Some mail moving but return to normal still weeks away: Union
Northern postal workers remain on job with national switch to regional strikes
It could take up to three weeks for service to return to normal after Canada Post’s southern employees moved to rotating strikes on Monday, says Xan Moffatt-Toews, president of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association, which represents Nunavut’s Canada Post employees. (File photo)
Updated Oct. 16 at 10:55 a.m. ET
It could take a few weeks for mail service in the North to return to normal even as the workers’ strike at Canada Post has shifted from a country-wide job action to rotating regional strikes, a union representative says.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers started a rotating strike action as of Saturday.
Even with some mail now moving, it could take about three weeks for things to return to normal, said Xan Moffatt-Toews, president of the Alberta, N.W.T. and Nunavut branch of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association, which represents most Canada Post workers in Nunavut and Nunavik, and is not on strike.
The national strike began Sept. 25, but postal workers in Nunavut and Nunavik have continued to go to work every day as usual. That said, Nunavummiut and Nunavimmiut still aren’t receiving mail.
That’s due to the way Canada Post sorts its mail, said Moffatt-Toews in an interview last week.
All Canada Post mail is sorted in facilities in the south, even mail sent across the North, such as from one Iqaluit address to another. This means Nunavummiut have not been able to send or receive mail during the strike.
Even without mail delivery, union members in the North are still keeping busy, said Moffatt-Toews.
“Nobody’s getting any hours cut or anything. They still do their job,” she said.
“They’d do different things, like redirections and cleaning up. There’s lots of stuff to do, but there is no mail.”
As with previous strikes, delivery of “socio-economic cheques” such as family allowance and employment insurance has not been impacted, Moffatt-Toews said.
Now that workers across the country are heading back to work, mail will start moving as “quickly as possible,” said Canada Post spokesperson Lisa Liu.
“However,” she said, “A national strike of any length will impact service to Canadians and businesses well after the strike activity ends. Processing and delivery may take some time to fully return to normal.”
On Wednesday, regional strikes by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers were happening in Dauphin-Swan River, Man.; Fort St. John, B.C.; and Pictou County, N.S., the union said.
Note: This article was updated to note comments by Xan Moffatt-Toews were made during an interview, and not through an email
Return to normal?! Normal is a barely functional operation held together by Mathieu, Veronica, and chewing gum.
How about a return to nothing of the sort?
You know who doesn’t share Canada Post’s northern staffing issues? Most of the government agencies that we don’t pretend should be profitable.
Stop cleaning your areas with junk mail deliveries and start regular customers
Normal? Sometimes we have to wait a week until our parcels make it out of the south, time to privatize CP
You should be thankful frankly. The mail here is heavily subsidized via Canada Post. If they were not here at all and some private company was you would suddenly know the true extreme cost of parcels coming to Nunavut. Start putting your parcels through cargo if you want a taste of that.
I’m not happy they’re on strike but I’m very very grateful Canada Post is willing to operate at a heavy loss in the north just to help northerners.
Could not agree more!
Should let KIA run the post offices up North,,. Mon-Thursday
n show up to work hour late, take hour long coffee breaks and never answer phone or emails?
Wait, which KIA are we talking about? Kit or Kiv? Never mind, they both operate that way.
Show up late , long breaks , run personal errands hour and a half lunch breaks , goof off , then show up , just to punch out.
Got my weed that’s what matters
Surprise! Postal union’s are failed or suceeded. Situation is confusing
How about getting everything running again and stop any kind of strike. This is delaying people’s medications that are desperately needed. It’s hard to know when medication will be shipped and delivered before the cold packs get warm!