Postal workers went door to door in a west end neighbourhood Wednesday evening, raising awareness about what they say are problems affecting both workers and Canada Post customers.
Forced overtime because of a lack of relief carriers is an issue, said Bev Ray, Edmonton president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
“Now customers don’t expect to get (their) mail in a timely manner,” she said, adding that mail is sometimes not delivered until 9 p.m., or not at all.
“And none of this has translated into improving customer service, none of it (has) translated into providing enough jobs to get the job done.”
Canada Post said there is every effort to deliver mail between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. but if a carrier works overtime, mail may be later than usual.
“Our carriers work really hard to make sure that all the mail gets out,” said Teresa Williams, a spokesperson for Canada Post.
Most overtime is volunteered for, said Williams, and only 1.5 per cent of time worked is compulsory overtime, which is part of the collective agreement.
Canada Post is looking for more employees.
