Canada Post returns to work

Out of respect for the employees that were mandated back to work by legislation, I refrained from dancing in the Post office this morning when I dropped off my three weeks of parcels due to the Canadian Postal strike. Although, let's be honest, I felt like it. 

As a small business dependent on this crown corporation, we saw a 50% minimum decrease in sales volume as a direct result of the postal strike, that is not taken into consideration the longer term effect. Lack of confidence and general distrust by the average American consumer to the media coverage of the strike.

 Media makes the employees of Canada Post look greedy by portraying them as people that walk the rural streets delivering the mail for $25/hour. The proposed wage reduction will not affect those already hired only new employees coming in for a  job that requires very little skill set. This is how the union employees are portrayed in the media in this dispute leaving most people feeling, especially small business negatively impacted, like they deserved to be mandated back to work.

But a closer view shows there is more to this issue than what the media has highlighted. Issues like what are Canada Post senior management paid? Are there increases frozen as well as new hire hourly rates decreased? or are they receiving increases on top of inflated salaries currently? What about the history of the union negotiating a fair wage for postal employees being at jeopardy by the slash to wages for new hires? Have you ever seen the movie "Norma Ray" ? Were the conditions similar at Canada Post before the union?

....and more importantly, what has caused a job that is being paid currently $25/hour to only be worth a wage of $17.50? The answer to this lies in our spending and our choices. In BC, we have agreed to allow companies like Extra Foods, Superstore to hire employees for less per hour in order that we could realize cheaper prices, forcing companies like Overwaitee, Save on Foods to eliminate their employees at higher wages and replace them with lower paid employees to remain competitive in the marketplace? we have traded less expensive online shopping bypassing distribution of retailers and going directly to manufactures in other countries all in search of the cheaper price or to support an ever increase in profits? This is just an example of a trend that spans all retail across the country. Knowingly or not we have created this situation.......and now we are seeing the effect.

....and it reaches farther than local spending or national spending, decades ago when manufactures starting looking offshore and at other countries where labour could be had for pennies and quality was second to value for the dollar and again we supported this trend by buying the cheaper made in China. We developed a taste for more left over and having sooner in life, buying on credit instead of saving and buying better quality...

...and the impact of that is a flood of used goods, crap, low quality , made to replace in 5 years, disposable goods that fill up the Value Villages and Salvation Army thrift stores and even the used car lots because of which we don't even have to be responsible for the disposal of our junk, we can just donate it and someone else will look after it....

....to which I say - Buy local, buy the best quality, pay cash, if you cannot afford it- save for it - If you cannot buy local, buy Canadian, try being responsible to find a place for all your used goods - you will consume much less - If only I understood this $100,000 ago - yup, I am part of this generation and guilty of all the above and wondering how I can reverse of make up for my part to my children and future generations that need the room on this planet...