The rotating postal strike isn’t inconveniencing too many people because most people don’t rely on the mail the way they once did.
However, it may prove to be a big factor in the referendum on the HST.
Voting packages are now going out in the mail, and the last package is supposed to be delivered by June 24. That seems to be a hopelessly optimistic, given no one knows where the postal workers will strike next, and the fact Canada Post has reduced mail delivery to three days a week from five.
On Tuesday, Canada Post struck in Toronto. Much of the country’s mail goes through Toronto, including mail that originates in B.C. It isn’t clear whether the HST referendum packages go there or not, but the modern mail-delivery system is built on routing large volumes of mail through specific sorting plants.
A rotating strike is likely to be called in Vancouver sometime within the next few weeks, as it is one of a few large Canadian cities that haven’t been struck. Victoria has already been hit once, and will likely be hit again. Other major cities like Surrey, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George are also likely to be struck by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The referendum timetable calls for all completed voting packages to be in the hands of Elections BC by July 22. While there will be opportunities to drop off the completed voting packages at Service BC centres, some people will return the packages through the mail system. This is particularly likely when considering that many take vacations in late June and early July and won’t be going to great lengths to find a place where a completed referendum-voting package can be dropped off.
The vote on the future of the HST is very important. Not only is it crucial in determining B.C. tax policy, but it also seen by many as an opportunity to strike a blow for democracy and public consultation. While the government badly handled the HST issue for much of the past two years, it is now consulting the public in a meaningful way. It would be most unfortunate if that consultation were crippled by a postal strike.
Langley Times
