There's one question surrounding Canada Post workers' rotating strike - who cares?
That's not meant facetiously... that is a serious question on lips across the country.
The Crown corporation had once been deemed an essential service, an absolute necessity in making society run.
We recently heard an urban myth that way back in Canada Post's heyday, if an ambulance, fire truck, police vehicle and postal truck arrived at a four-way stop at precisely the same time, the postie would have the right of way.
A little farfetched, granted, but the legend sprang directly out of how important the mail used to be.
The fact that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is testing their importance now, when vast numbers of people across the country would barely register a postal carrier strike, is slightly mind-boggling.
The strike seems to be hurting no one but the workers themselves.
Prince George's temporary employees are being sent home, part-timers are losing hours and local posties, who are notorious for logging in overtime (ironic in an age when dropping something in the mailbox is nearly as pass as using a pay phone), are being told to drop everything at the end of their shifts - with delivery bags half-full if need be - all to avoid extra pay.
So why are posties taking this risk? Do they believe people could never run their lives without the postal service? And is this notion delusional?
Perhaps not. Canada Post's stats have shown that usage has indeed decreased, but not by as much as some may have thought.
The use of the delivery service has reduced by only 17 per cent across the country since 2006, according to the organization's reps.
That may be due to a surge in online purchased goods, routinely delivered by Canada Post.
And Christmas cookies from far away relatives are still handled by the ton during holiday season.
By all accounts, it's the cheapest delivery system (to the user) - and reliable too.
But the tide of sympathy doesn't appear to be with the workers.
People are asking: "Why should workers with job security, good pensions and good wages get an even better deal, especially when those in the private sector aren't?"
And what remains to be seen is will Canada Post survive this stoppage? The question shouldn't be "Will we end up stronger?" but "Will we end?"
As Canadians cut their postal service use by half, how many will discover alternate methods of delivery then just stick with that? More than just a few, we're guessing.
After all, plenty of people use Canada Post simply because it's familiar.
Allow people to adopt another routine, and it could be sayonara snail mail.
-- Prince George Citizen
