Listening to Canada Post management and the union, one could fall into the trap thinking this strike is just another labour dispute. It is far more than that.
In fact, this strike personifies the challenge most institutions have this century, which is being relevant in the modern world.
Most resident experiences with Canada Post will be much like our own. Friendly staff at the counter treat customers well, and although tasked with administering head-office rules, it has been our experience that staff are very helpful.
While we have long since left the post office for delivery of this newspaper due to skyrocketing costs 20 years ago, in all the years we dealt there, we cannot think of an occasion where staff were unprofessional or discourteous. An observation could easily be made that those workers were very much part of the community and interested in its success.
Management and the union, however, are a different story.
As noted, this current round of bargaining has much to do with wages, benefits, pensions and job security. For a union to believe an organization in the financial shape it is, can pay more is pure folly. Yes, investments in infrastructure and dynamic accounting may paint a bleaker situation than is the case, but there is little positive about its future prospects. There isn’t a cushion or invested funds that will allow for the same old, same old to continue. The organization needs an overhaul.
Like many for-profit entities with similar mandates, Canada Post failed to embrace the future. Most companies are continuing the shift to digital platforms, negating the need for printed invoices, statements, cheques, etc. That is a reality with which Canada Post must contend. This strike has amplified that need for online banking and payments.
Further, the flyer market using a product like Admail continues to fall, making this a case of managing the decline rather than growing the business. First-class letter mail? Let’s be honest, it hasn’t been first class for decades. People using the mail shouldn’t have to hear from relatives or business associates that a letter either failed to arrive, or was woefully late.
The disruption of the marketplace has been upon Canadians for some time. Most industries and institutions have suffered similar challenges to their business model. The key difference is those entities either had to evolve or close. What will happen to Canada Post?
Once this strike is settled, every effort needs to go into planning for the future. For some communities the post office, aligned with a convenience store, is the hub of the community.
