A postal strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has officially gone into effect. This could have a significant impact on Portage la Prairie, affecting both individuals and businesses in the community. As a vital service for communication, bill payments, and the delivery of goods, a disruption in postal services will ripple through various aspects of daily life.
For residents, a postal strike might mean delays in receiving important mail, including government correspondence, medical notices, and personal letters. With many people relying on Canada Post for regular mail delivery, the strike could cause considerable inconvenience, especially for those who don't use digital alternatives.
Robin Bailey, office manager for Royal LePage Real Estate, says the impact hits them quite hard.
"We send cheques between agencies. We send cheques back and forth to lawyers, and if we don't have the mail and we're dealing with an outside agency or a lawyer, we are going to have to somehow figure out how to get our deposits and cheques to each other."
She explains they will have to use courier services, which don’t guarantee next-day delivery.
"We need to get them in order to be in compliance. I guess we're going to have to make arrangements to help our employees. We’ll have to have people driving back and forth to get these things to each other. It stops payments. We're not in compliance. We had deals where certain dates were set for deposits, and now that we can’t do it on time, we’ll have to send extra paperwork back and forth. It's just a real pain."
Bailey adds that she hasn’t been in her role during a previous strike, which caused major setbacks. However, she hopes an agreement is reached quickly to avoid a prolonged disruption.
Janna Braaksma is owner of 3's Company Boutique and adds, “We are keeping a very close eye on the current Canada Post situation, and are prepared to pivot to another courier at any time. Maintaining our delivery service is a top priority as we head into the holiday season.”