Postal Strike: Will local postal workers distribute socio-economic cheques?

Update, October 24th, 3:02 p.m.: This story has been updated to include a statement from Canada Post.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Local residents have expressed concerns about whether or not socio-economic cheques will be distributed by local postal workers.

The Canada Post strike began after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) said federal minister Joël Lightbound announced massive changes – including “huge service cutbacks to the public” – causing postal workers to hit the picket lines.

Although CUPW has changed its stance from outright job action to workers participating in rotating strikes, this is something Fort St. John postal workers have not done, in favour of daily picketing at the post office on 10139 101st Avenue.

This response was met with an obstacle in October, with the failure to distribute socio-economic cheques – such as Old Age Security, Child Care Benefit and Canada Pension Plan – to residents in outlying communities.

CUPW local 738 president Babe Seguin said while there is a memorandum of understanding to deliver these cheques, mail carriers are not paid to do so.

“The sender generally tries to get these to us even earlier than when these checks would normally go out during labour disruption,” Seguin explained to Energeticcity.ca. “These checks are usually set to be delivered at the end of the month.”

Seguin said she was given a five-day window in October – between October 17th and October 22nd – to find volunteers. 

However, she claims a director from Canada Post said the cheques had been returned to sender, with no chance at delivery.

“I got a reply from a Canada Post director saying ‘you guys were too late,’” said Seguin. “We were too late getting them volunteers to do the work, and therefore they’re not giving us the opportunity to deliver [the cheques] now.”

A response from Canada Post’s media relations department confirmed socio-economic cheques are delivered during a labour disruption under an agreement from the two parties.

It disputes Seguin’s claim those who volunteer do so without pay, stating: “Under the agreement, CUPW commits to provide enough volunteer employees to deliver the cheques. Volunteers are paid for the work.”

The representative says Canada Post met with CUPW representatives on October 7th, to “outline the requirements for October’s socio-economic cheque delivery and provided the dates in which delivery needed to occur.”

“Unfortunately, CUPW was unable to secure volunteers to handle the delivery of the cheques by October 22nd,” reads the statement. ” After speaking with the customer, the cheques were returned to the sender on October 23rd.”