Postal worker strike affecting businesses, charities in Halifax

Striking postal workers are back on the picket lines Tuesday, calling for better treatment and working conditions.

“What we want is fair wages, safer working conditions, the right to retire and dignity,” says Dwayne Corner, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) local president. “We didn't want to choose to go on strike.”

Mail stopped flowing on Friday when 55,000 workers coast-to-coast walked-off the job after negotiations failed.

United Way Maritimes marketing director, Deborah Page, says the timing couldn’t be worse.

“It's a difficult time of year for this to take place,” says Page.

That's because charities and non-profits rely heavily on the holiday season to secure funds that help them and their clients through the winter.

“We would normally send information to our donors as reminders at this point in terms of donations, which is why we're pivoting to using social media and email and phoning people,” says Page.

“The United Way does receive some donations by mail, but most of our donations are made online.”

The interrupted flow of mail is affecting businesses too.

All of our payables, receivables, anything that was small and in an envelope essentially we sent through Canada Post,” says Lawrence Conrad.

Conrad is the director of a security company. He says he's been able to deliver some of his parcels himself but has turned to other companies for the majority of his needs.

“The situation now where that service is not available and we have pivoted to using essentially their competition and other means of getting the things that we need on a daily basis,” says Conrad.

Canada Post and its workers are now in day two of discussions with a special mediator appointed by the federal government in hopes of finding some common ground between the two sides.

“We're hoping that we'll hear something by the end of the day to say that there has been some progress or some status update,” says Corner.

Corner adds the memberships resolve is strong and they are determined to get what they feel is a fair contract.

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