Canada Post issued a boilerplate statement on Tuesday when asked about some small NWT communities’ concerns that they could face a lengthy wait for mail delivery to resume.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers moved to rotating strike action last week rather than an all-out nationwide strike, which some analysts have said reflects a weakness in the union’s position. The union says its move was strategic and demonstrates its commitment to the public.
Those rotating strikes – which Canada Post said were affecting Dawson Creek and Fort St John in northern BC as of earlier this week, as well as a location in Newfoundland and Labrador – still have the potential to cause disruption.
On Tuesday, Cabin Radio received two enquiries from residents of smaller NWT communities who said they’d been told over the counter that mail delivery might not resume for weeks.
In Whatì, where residents say they haven’t received mail since the nationwide strike ended, the local store said online it was in discussions with Canada Post about restoring mail delivery by road.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Scheduled flights into and out of Whatì have been suspended by Air Tindi, complicating that situation, but it isn’t the only community where residents say mail has yet to resume.
Asked for guidance on when the North’s more isolated communities should expect mail delivery to have fully returned, Canada Post replied with what a spokesperson called “our latest statement” that addressed the general situation across the country but not the specifics of service in the NWT.
“Rotating strike activity will mean ongoing disruptions in service. Customers should expect delays,” the corporation wrote.
“We are accepting and delivering mail and parcels in all locations except those on strike. Induction for commercial customers will start [on Wednesday].
“Shutting down and restarting parts of our integrated national network with rotating strikes challenges our ability to provide reliable service to customers. As a result, all service guarantees remain suspended and customers should expect delays.”
By 11am on Wednesday, Canada Post had not responded to follow-up questions sent on Tuesday afternoon.
Related Articles