‘History repeating itself’: Local businesses, charities react to Canada Post strike disruption

Now more than a week into the latest strike by Canada Post workers, the uncertainty and disruption continues to mount for those who rely the most on its mailing service.

As the latest strike is coming on the verge of another holiday season, local charities are bracing for another deficit of crucial donations. The Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) Foundation reports that its revenue generated through the mail last year was cut nearly in half due to the holiday season mail strike.

“Mail is one of the most important fundraising tools that we have,” said Ashley Amis, marketing manager for the foundation. “The last three months of the calendar year are very important fundraising times for any foundation. A lot of people get the money that they need to sustain their programs throughout the year coming in the last quarter of the year.”

The Barrie Food Bank is also concerned, telling CTV News that staff will not be able to mail their Thanksgiving appeal, and that it will definitely affect their donations.

At the same time, many local businesses are forced to either wait on the strike to end or look at alternatives.

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“It’s history repeating itself and it’s not something that we’re willing to or able to afford going through again,” said Heather Kennedy, who owns three businesses in Barrie’s downtown.

She says the effects of last year’s strike were long-lasting, which prompted her to switch away from Canada Post at the onset of the latest strike.

“There was such a backlog of items needed to get out and get delivered, so it wasn’t only for the duration of the strike it was for weeks afterwards that we felt the effects,” added Kennedy. “It’s the most detrimental time of year that they could do it, and now it’s two years in a row that it’s happened.”

Kennedy now follows the estimated 13 per cent of small businesses that stopped using Canada Post after the last strike, with nearly two thirds of them saying they will do the same if another one hits.

That Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) study also claimed that last year’s strike cost small businesses more than $1 billion.

“Large organizations... a lot of them still write cheques for a lot of the work that they do and their suppliers are going to be waiting for payment,” said Paul Markle, Barrie Chamber of Commerce CEO. ”That hurts business when you don’t have that kind of cash flow.”

Canada Post submitted its latest offer on Friday which the Union says it will carefully review and analyze.

In the meantime, businesses and charities are once again urging for payments and donations to be done online.

With files from the Canadian Press.