Contingency plan for Island papers’ delivery
MANITOULIN—Canada Post customers could go without mail services as early as Saturday, July 2 if no common ground is found in the labour negotiations between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
According to a press release from Canada Post, on Saturday, June 25 Canada Post tabled offers designed to “help reach agreements and avoid a work disruption.” On June 10, the 60-day conciliation period officially ended with a 21-day ‘cooling off’ period commencing, which officially ends on July 1. This could put CUPW in a legal strike position on July 2.
Should CUPW choose labour disruption, Canada Post will not operate. Mail and parcels will not be delivered and no new items will be accepted. “Any mail and parcels within the postal system during a work disruption will be secured and delivered as quickly as possible once operations resume,” a Canada Post press release states, encouraging businesses and individuals to make a contingency plan.
Today, Wednesday, June 29, is the last day Canada Post is ensuring delivery of priority parcels (national, regional and local) by June 30.
Should a postal disruption occur, this will also locally affect the delivery of The Manitoulin Expositor, Manitoulin West Recorder and The Manitoulin Extra. For those who receive mail at one of Manitoulin’s 19 post offices, they can pick up their paper and Extra at the following locations: Burch Island, J+G Marina; Little Current, The Expositor Office; Gore Bay, the Recorder office; Sheguiandah, Manitoulin Trading Post; Wikwemikong, Buzwah Variety (The Extra will be available at both Buzwah Variety, Andy’s and Bayview Confectionery); South Baymouth, Carl’s Trading Post; Tehkummah, Ward’s Store; Sandfield, Sandfield General Store; Mindemoya, D.A. Williamson and Sons; Providence Bay, The Huron Sands; Spring Bay, Buie’s Store; M’Chigeeng, West Bay General Store; Aundeck Omni Kaning, the band office; Kagawong, Hunt’s Store; Silver Water, Stop 540 Restaurant; Sheshegwaning, Gamig Gas Bar; Zhiibaahaasing, the band office; and Meldrum Bay, the community mail box at the community hall.
For rural route and ‘big green’ or community mailbox customers, if you receive your newspapers and The Manitoulin Extra on a rural route at a mailbox at the end of your lane, your distribution will remain the same. If you receive your newspapers and The Manitoulin Extra at a community mailbox, we ask that you retrieve these publications from the waterproof container that will be located adjacent to the community mailbox. (These containers are plastic and waterproof but we ask that you make sure the cover is securely attached after you have retrieved your papers.)
Please visit www.manitoulin.ca for more details on the potential job action as they become available and see page 6 of this newspaper for the list of where to find your paper should a strike occur.
