55,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are on strike nationally, but some people received critical Canada Post mail on Wednesday.
Critical mail delivered Wednesday as Canada Post strike drags on
By Morgana Adby
CUPW Local 850 Victoria president Kate Holowatiuk was on CFAX 1070 with Ryan Price today. She explains there is a national agreement between the union and Canada Post to deliver a special category of mail, including things like pension and disability benefits.
"There was an agreement nationally between CUPW and Canada Post. We wanted to mitigate the impacts of a potential job action on our most vulnerable community members," Holowatiuk said. "So, today we have carriers out and about delivering what's called socio-economic cheques."
“These are monthly cheques so I certainly hope that we're not here in a month and we can get something done before that."
CUPW Local 850 represents roughly 750 postal workers in Greater Victoria and rural neighbouring communities such as Cobble Hill and Salt Spring Island. Holowatiuk says the mood at the picket line is jovial yet anxious about what could come next, as union-workers try to secure better conditions for the next generation of postal workers.