Sad Postal Strike

Workers at Canada Post have voted to go on strike. Each day as I look at my empty letter box, I shake my head at how the striking workers are shooting themselves and others on the foot. I am sad for the following reasons. With the strike that is affecting daily businesses and the reliability of local mails:

1. More businesses will avoid using snail-mail. (LOWER MAIL VOLUME)
2. More businesses will opt for email based communications. (LESSER PAPER MAIL TO DELIVER)
3. Cost of Sending Mail Goes Up (MORE PEOPLE AVOID SENDING SNAIL MAIL)

Credit: Mauritiushot,com

I think understanding the business environment is key. For the management, they need to do a better job in explaining the tougher business environment they are in. They need to bear the responsibility of not responding fast enough to the changing postal environment. Most critically, they need to improve their relationships with the union.

For the workers on strike, I understand that union members have to obey the directives set out by their leaders. Yet, I cannot help but feel they will need to start looking for another job, if the challenging postal environment turns out worse after the strike. One needs to know who is paying their salaries. It is not the management of Canada Post. It is ultimately the people who pay the postage, whether directly or indirectly. Piss these paying customers off, and you will probably have begun sawing off the very branch you are sitting on. The moment other viable alternatives appear, you would have sawed off the whole branch. With the strike, a conventional postal system that is becoming more irrelevant, will become more irrelevant. Exponentially.

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