[updated June 2]
Say what you want about the role of Canada's postal service in our "e-nabled" age of online billing, banking, emailing and socializing, but there's no time like the present day state of postal union negotiations to contemplate the reasons we'd miss our snail mail.
If you haven't yet heard, Canada's magazine industry is atwitter about the possibility of a strike as, at latest word, it's announced that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) intends to begin strike activities at 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 2, 2011. This doesn't mean that it's a done deal, but after seven months of negotiations this 72-hour strike notice means business--or no business, if you're in the magazine industry.
In the meantime, publishers and printers are forced to sit on their latest issues and direct mail campaigns until further word. Freelancers are left wondering if that much anticipated cheque will arrive. Many businesses still pay bills with cheques, and question whether they should risk it or go the pricey-but-reliable courier route.
If you're looking for updates and insight on the strike, here are a couple of resources:
If you haven't yet heard, Canada's magazine industry is atwitter about the possibility of a strike as, at latest word, it's announced that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) intends to begin strike activities at 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 2, 2011. This doesn't mean that it's a done deal, but after seven months of negotiations this 72-hour strike notice means business--or no business, if you're in the magazine industry.
In the meantime, publishers and printers are forced to sit on their latest issues and direct mail campaigns until further word. Freelancers are left wondering if that much anticipated cheque will arrive. Many businesses still pay bills with cheques, and question whether they should risk it or go the pricey-but-reliable courier route.
If you're looking for updates and insight on the strike, here are a couple of resources:
- You can go straight to the source with Canada Post's Customer Information Hub
- For the other side of the story, check out the PostThis video blog of Denis Lemelin, National President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)
- For some industry insight, on the Canadian Magazines blog you'll find a whole history of posts under the "Canada Post" label
- Hear what the folks on twitter have to say about the strike, by following hashtags #canadapost, #canadapoststrike, and #cupw
- For insight on how publishers have further incentive to find an alternative to the postal system, read "Editorial: postal strike spells disaster for all, especially union" from Masthead Online
- Beth Ed, associate publisher of AMPA Member Alberta Views talked to CBC Calgary's Jim Brown about the impact of a potential magazine strike http://tinyurl.com/3pfp3v8
--- Rebecca Lesser
AMPA Communications & Programs Coordinator
AMPA Communications & Programs Coordinator
