Canada Post says operations not affected by rotating strikes
Posted June 4, 2011 11:07 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canada Post continues to operate its vast network across the country despite the launch of rotating strikes by postal workers, the company said Saturday.
Mail and parcels continue to be delivered in communities across Canada, a spokesperson for the Crown corporation said.
Anick Losier denied reports that street letter boxes have been sealed, adding that some 40 million pieces of mail were delivered Friday.
The strikes began in Winnipeg on Thursday night, with a 24-hour walkout. They have since spread to Hamilton, Ont., where Canada Post workers are on a 48-hour strike that will continue until late Sunday night.
“We’ll be making decisions about additional locations based on progress at the negotiations table,” the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Saturday.
But it said that Canada Post had not yet responded to its recent proposals.
Canada Post’s latest offer, which has been rejected, would raise the starting wage to 19 dollars an hour, and at least temporarily shelve a controversial disability program.
“Canada Post remains committed to negotiating a deal that is fair and reasonable without causing the corporation to become a drain on the taxpayers,” Losier said in an email to The Canadian Press.
“We also believe that the union’s strike activity is completely unnecessary. We are at the table and ready to negotiate.”
The impact on consumers and business has so far been negligible, but the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says a steady stream of strikes will become problematic.
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says consumers may not receive regular statements for credit cards, loans, mortgages, utility bills and other invoices.
The agency adds that Canadians can avoid late payment fees or interest charges by using telephone or online banking services or checking a company’s website for other payment methods.
Charities that get donations by cheque say they expect to be hurt by the job action, and consumers who buy products online are being advised check to see how items will be shipped.
The last Canada Post strike, in 1997, was ended with back to work legislation.
However on Friday, Labour Minister Lisa Raitt urged the parties to keep trying to work things out themselves.
What you need to know during the postal strike (Courtesy of the Government of Canada)
If you are a senior citizen or a person with disabilities
Old Age Security (OAS), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP Disability) cheques will continue to be delivered by Canada Post once a month. For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca/ or call 1-800-O-Canada.
If you are collecting Employment Insurance
Clients who receive their Employment Insurance (EI) cheques by mail will need to pick up their cheques at selected Service Canada Centres or alternate distribution centres throughout Canada. For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca.
If you are a veteran
Regularly scheduled cheques will continue to be delivered by Canada Post once a month. This includes disability pensions, monthly allowances, Exceptional Incapacity Allowance (EIA), Permanent Impairment Allowance (PIA), Earnings Loss and War Veterans Allowance (WVA) payments.
Other non-regularly scheduled cheques, such as Disability Award, Veterans Independence Program (VIP), treatment benefits (including health-related travel), adjustment cheques, etc., will be held for the duration of the postal disruption. If you have an urgent need, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada at 1-866-522-2122 (English) or 1-866-522-2022 (French) or visit www.veterans.gc.ca.
If you are applying for a passport
For information related to Passport Canada services, such as applying for a passport, urgent travel in the next 6 weeks or passport pick-up options, please visit www.pptc.gc.ca.
In addition, the 144 Service Canada Centres that act as Passport Receiving Agents will continue to accept applications. For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca
If you are expecting a Social Insurance Number card to be delivered
Social Insurance Number (SIN) cards will not be mailed during a postal disruption and will be held until the strike is over. Employers will be able to confirm a valid SIN by calling 1-800-206-7218 (select option ‘3’). For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca
If you are expecting to receive the Canada Child Tax Benefit cheque
Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) cheques that include provincial supplements administered by the CRA (where applicable) will continue to be delivered by Canada Post once a month. For more information, please visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca/postalstrike.
If you are expecting a cheque from the CRA for your tax refund, the Universal Child Care Benefit, GST/HST credit, or a provincial/territorial benefit
If you are already enrolled in direct deposit, you will receive your payment as usual. Canada Post will not deliver cheques for the above payments during a strike. To find out how to enroll for direct deposit and for all other strike-related CRA updates, please visit www.cra.gc.ca/postalstrike.
If you need to send in a tax payment, remittance or return
Taxpayers are encouraged to use alternative methods to file a return, make a payment and send a remittance by using the Canada Revenue Agency’s electronic services or mail drop boxes at local Tax Services Offices and Tax Centers. For more information, please visit www.cra.gc.ca/postalstrike.
If you are a farmer participating in a Business Risk Management program
In provinces where the Government of Canada delivers the AgriStability program, payments will not be mailed until the postal strike is over. In the event of a prolonged postal disruption, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada will look at alternative means of issuing payments to producers. For more information, you can call toll free 1-800-367-8506 or visit www.agr.gc.ca/agristability.
