Some local businesses in St. Albert have already begun preparing for potential disruptions to mail service, finding alternative shipping methods and adjusting operations in anticipation of delays caused by ongoing labour action at Canada Post.
Jodie McFadzen, owner of The UPS Store in St. Albert, said that they have had an increase in customers since talk of a potential strike started.
“We've actually already seen an increase because people aren't taking the risk of sending it out in case their stuff gets trapped,” she said.
She explained that people don’t want their items stuck in the mail like they were during the November and December strike.
Michelle Bishop, owner of Elle’s Boutique, said she was frustrated with the possibility of another strike. She said during the last strike she had thousands of dollars worth of products stuck in the mail which customers returned, as they no longer needed the product.
“Well, we've already stopped using them [Canada Post]. So we'll use other methods,” said Bishop. “As soon as we heard that they were talking about it, like going back into the negotiations, we just stopped because we couldn't afford to have another backlog like we had last time.”
Despite exploring other options, Bishop explained that while she would like to say she is done using Canada Post, they are the most affordable option for her when shipping items to customers.
“The uncertainty and potential delays are causing significant concern among our members, who are already navigating a challenging economic landscape,” said Angie Hampshire, the board chair for the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has implemented a nationwide overtime ban as legal strike action instead of a full or rotating strike.
CUPW members have been told to refuse to work shifts longer than eight hours or more than 40 hours in a week. This will continue while negotiations are ongoing.
In a statement, Canada Post said they will continue to operate but customers may experience delays. They also noted they have already seen a decline in parcels and mail as customers prepared for another strike.
Until an agreement is made, all workers will drop off their mail at the post office after their eight-hour shift regardless of whether they have completed their duties.
