There are now picket lines at Canada Post outlets in Petrolia and Corunna.

For the first five days of the strike, members of CUP-W Local 598 were walking the line at the main post office in Sarnia. But Colin McColeman, vice president of the local, says more than half of its members work in rural post offices including Petrolia and Corunna.

And McColeman says rural residents understand the need for a strong post office because for many communities it’s one of the last services available close to home.

“We’re trying to maintain the postal system in rural areas. This is very important service, especially for rural areas…where banks are leaving small towns in droves, and it’s not good.”

One of the union’s negotiation points is the establishment of postal banking. “You’ve got things like credit unions kind of moving in and take their place, but it’s not a perfect system, and postal banking is very crucial.”

Wages are also an issue. McColeman says letter carriers are being forced to walk longer routes and its taking a toll.

“We were considered an essential service the entire time throughout the pandemic, and now they come to us with bread crumbs and, you know, we deserve bread and roses,” McColeman says.

“They want us to work. They want us to do more. And you know, if there’s more work, then there needs to be more pay. We’re always looking to put more on us and we’re not Clydesdales, you know. We’re not work horses like that. We’re human beings…our bodies have limits.

“We can’t be walking up to 30 kilometres a day, every single day, five days-a-week, and then they want to expand to seven-days-a-week service (with) 30 kilometres.”

For rural delivery drivers issues include whether they are being paid enough to provide vehicles for their work, particularly since Canada Post dictates what size of vehicle is necessary.

Officials from CUP-W’s bargaining team said in an update that there has been some movement in negotiations. The union and Canada Post met with a federally appointed mediator earlier in the week.

CUP-W Local 598 workers say they will picketing in Petrolia and Corunna until the strike is settled.