By Emily Stonehouse

There’s a cold sleet falling from the skies at the end of November, the eve of the annual Santa Claus Parade through Haliburton. 

What’s normally a time where the local post offices are at their jolliest and most festive, this year, there’s a different energy to the community hub. As of Friday, Nov. 15, 55,000 Canada Post workers went on strike, including the many that tie our communities together in Haliburton County. “Everybody is really upset about it,” said Kelly Lawr, who works with the Haliburton branch, “but we had to do it at a time that there’s an impact.” At the time of press, the strike is ongoing, as tensions continue to rise. 

On top of the gaps that the pause in postal services has presented leading up to the holidays, others picketing out the front of the office in Haliburton noted that their contract ended at the end of November, leaving them without pay or benefits while they are striking. 

The crux of the strike, according to the workers in Haliburton, lies on living wage pay and access to benefits. The union is seeking a 24 per cent wage increase, to keep up with cost of living, as well as the multiple minimum wage increases that have taken place over the years that the Crown corporation has not honoured. Canada Post has counter-offered an 11.5 per cent increase, which is far from the request; resulting in the strike continuing with no end in sight. 

“Our demands are reasonable: fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity and the expansion of services at the public post office,” reads the official statement from the union of postal workers. 

The Haliburton workers were quick to add that the corporation is trying to implement unfair starting pay and expectations for new workers with the postal service, and the current employees won’t stand for it. “We’re trying to fight for the new people,” said Lawr. “Otherwise, it creates such a divide between workers.”  

Jackie Saik, the owner of the online store Made For The Lake apparel and goods, took to Instagram last Tuesday, when it began to become clear that the strike was far from over. “Small businesses are still shipping,” she pleaded in the post. “Please don’t give up on them!” 

Saik largely relies on Canada Post to ship her products across the country, and with the ongoing strike and the holidays on the horizon, Saik is concerned about what this could mean for her livelihood. “I made the post out of desperation,” she told the Echo, “sales were nowhere close to where they need to be for this time of year.” 

The business owner went on to clarify that her frustrations do not lie with those currently striking, rather, she is airing her grievances towards Canada Post as a corporation. “I have nothing against the workers or their right to strike,” she noted. “But I cannot pause my entire business to show support. It is not an option for me. I am doing what is best for my business to hopefully continue on.”

After years of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Saik said that herself and many other online businesses were depending on this time of year to carry them through the quieter months ahead. “I was personally counting on this month to be something that would really help me,” she said. “The business from the holidays is what gets us through January and February.” 

Saik noted that while it’s slightly more complicated, she has figured out a way to sell items from her online shop via UPS, but she is unable to send to letter boxes or card mail until the strike is resolved. 

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Canada’s largest association of small business owners across the country, released a formal statement in light of the strike. They have made a public plea to the federal government to step into the dispute, and put an end to the strike before more small businesses are impacted. “We hope the parties quickly reach a deal through collective bargaining, but reports say they’re still ‘far apart.’ Our economy and small businesses cannot afford another week of postal disruption,” said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President of Advocacy at CFIB. “Small businesses, especially those in rural areas, are already losing on sales and missing payments, and they have to rethink delivery strategies on the eve of the busy holiday season.”

According to CFIB, over three quarters of small businesses in rural communities rely on Canada Post, and will be directly impacted by the work stoppage at this time. 

“We feel bad for our customers,” said Lawr, noting that she and her colleagues miss their regular routes, and the familiar faces they have become accustomed to over the years, but they won’t budge until a fair offer is presented by the Crown corporation. “They’re trying to implement a ‘one size fits all’ approach across the board,” she said. “But it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ solution.”