Editorial

Many consumers and businesses may find it hard to dredge up sympathy for postal workers right now during their strike. 

Mail and parcel delivery are at a standstill while Canada Post employees try to negotiate a new contract for better wages and working conditions, among other things. 

These strikes always seem to occur at the most inopportune times, such as the busy holiday season (when bargaining clout is the most powerful). But in all fairness, postal workers have been without a contract for some time, so why didn’t Canada Post address this before service came to a screeching halt? 

You gotta love your neighbourhood postie. They deliver your mail through rain, sleet or snow, and most have a smile to spare despite the conditions and stress that make the job overwhelming sometimes. Their world is go, go, go because they have to deliver reams of mail before nightfall. When you factor in the weather, slippery driveways, ornery canines, and sometimes oppressive managers, the job can be a drag. 

If you Google what the work is really like, you will find a mixed bag. For example, comments on Indeed vary from “toxic” and “over-worked” to “exceptional” and “productive.” One letter carrier wrote: “Some days it was the best job on the planet. Some days it was the worst.”

The pay isn’t too shoddy; the average hourly rate is approximately $24, according to online sources. But even at that rate it’s hard to make ends meet in this world.

However, it must be said that countless people in Canada are struggling to survive on minimum wage and don’t have many benefits (and no pension) to speak of. No job security, either. So, if you do the comparison, postal workers aren’t doing too badly. 

While the strike drags on, small businesses are being hit with a sledgehammer because they rely on Canada Post for their shipping and receiving. Now their costs are going up because they have to utilize alternate, more expensive mailing options.

What better time than to shop local to support businesses in town while keeping your dollars in the community. Yes, there’s Amazon and Prime shipping, but that doesn’t help neighbourhood businesses stay afloat. While this job action takes its toll, that business down the street needs your consideration.

Let’s admit it — the strike is a real pain in the keister for a lot of people, but we all have to weather the storm and make the best of it. A quick resolution is needed before Christmas as those letters to Santa are in jeopardy. 

Lyonel Doherty, editor