Silence must be deafening for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers who continues its rotational 24-hour strikes in larger urban centres.
There is no outcry from the Canadian public demanding the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which represents urban postal workers, to get back to work.
As a result, the union is likely learning a painful lesson — they are not nearly as valuable as they believed.
Perhaps even 10 years ago Canada Post could have been considered an essential service, but with advancements in technology the post office simply is not as imperative as it once was.
Few Canadians rely on the postal service any longer. Most people pay their bills on line, while email, camera phones and texting have replaced letters and post cards.
Even government cheques like tax refunds can be done through direct deposit, meaning there really are few essential documents that must be processed by Canada Post.
Most Canadians see the writing in the post card — the post office, in its current state, is quickly becoming obsolete.
In fact, according to Canada Post traditional letter mail business has fallen by more than 17 per cent since 2006.
It appears the only people who have not come to understand the current state of Canada Post is CUPW who is demanding wage increases for staff who are working for a Crown corporation which could soon be out of business or will have to undergo radical changes to its operational template if it wants to remain relevant.
This is not to say Canada Post does not still have a vital role to play.
Canada Post is still important to residents in rural areas who do not have high speed internet; seniors and residents who are not computer savvy; and newspaper publishers who rely on Canada Post to deliver their product to rural communities across the country.
Canada Post clearly still has a role to play within this country but it is also clear Canadians do not consider the plight of the union as a priority.
Considering the state of Canada Post, striking is not an effective bargaining tool and the union should focus on bargaining and agreement.
If not, Canadians will take their business elsewhere faster than you can lick a stamp.
