Calgary businesses worried over potential postal strike

A potential postal strike is loomingif Canada Post and its workers can't come to an agreement.

The Crown corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are in the midst of a cooling off period, but a legal strike or a lockout could happen as early as July 2nd.

At Soul Food Crystals and Books, owner Linda Perry is worried about the possibility of the looming labour trouble.

She relies on Canada Post to deliver invoices,pay bills and gether merchandise.

She said it's "certainly an inconvenience and a disruption in business, because when you don't have the stock you can't sell it, so you don't make any money either and you can't provide for your customers.

"Will they go some place else? Possibly."

Could hurt Canada Post

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce said a dispute will cost thousands of businesses time and money.

Spokesperson Scott Crockatt saidany service disruption will also hurt Canada Post.

"In the long run I think this leads to less and less use of Canada Post for these critical business functions as they tend to takethem online and tend to stay there," he said.

'We are customers of Canada Post too'

Suzie Moore acknowledges the risk, but the CUPW spokeswoman saidthere's a bigger principle at play for the union.

She said thekey issues in the dispute are wage parity between city and rural postal workers and the restoration of door-to-door mail delivery.

"The public needs to know we do have their best interests in mind," she said. "We are not only employees of Canada Post, but weare customers of Canada Post too."

It's been five years since postal workers went on strike and were subsequently locked out.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Alberta college fends off 'ransomware type of attack' by locking down computer systems
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Train kills wolf pup in Banff after mother euthanized for snatching food