Potential Canada Post strike impacting P.E.I. businesses

A potential strike by Canada Post workers is already impacting businesses big and small on P.E.I.

The strike could happen early next week, as a mediator continues to work with Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

But some Island business owners say they've been ready for a while now.

'I have to get parcels out.'

"I was 100 per cent with Canada Post. I send thousands of parcels a year and I spend a lot of money at Canada Post and I always ship Canada Post until, you know, July," saidBrenda Watts of Cattails Woodwork.

She sends parcels up to threetimes a week, and relies on it to make a living.

"I have to get parcels out. I have no option."

When Watts heard rumours in the spring that Canada Post might go on strike, she didn't waste time. She set up a business account with FedEx.

Now she only uses Canada Post,but for smaller packages. She won't be sending anymore until she knows it will arrive on time.

A worry for business

Others, like John Barrett, director of sales, marketing and development for Vessey's Seeds Ltd., say the looming strike is a worry for business.

"Really, we're no happier than we were several weeks ago," he said.The company is planning to send tens of thousands of packages for their fall bulb program. It's much more expensive to send large packages in large quantities by courier.

"Because of our volume, we can ship at a very decent rate using Canada Post's expedited parcel system. When it comes time to having to hand these off to couriers, that's a completely different story all together."

'Shooting themselves in the foot'

Jordi Morgan ofthe Canadian Federation of Independent Business saysthe whole situation is a bit ironic.

"As Canada Post pushes this agenda forward, or at least the union does, what it means is that people who are in business are going to become more reliant on alternative services and many of them just don't come back to Canada Post," he said.

"In many ways, a work disruption like this is to the union and to the membership can be shooting themselves in the foot."

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