Mail Strike Redux

It's going to happen.  Canada Post workers are going back on strike this Friday, barring any last minute legal intervention (or an even longer shot settlement).  Not only are the union and Canada Post management very far apart, the most recent study of the situation indicates that Canada Post will never be solvent again and recommends a whole host of recommendations that would really gut the postal service, perhaps leading to almost no mail service in rural areas and vastly cut back service in urban areas (where the service at least comes close to breaking even).  As you can imagine, the union completely rejects this, and if the government accept these findings as the basis of any new deal, I don't think there will be any deal at all, and, in fact, the government may be forced to dissolve Canada Post (and break the union completely) and then set up something new that is non-unionized.  Hard to imagine that happening, but not completely inconceivable.  I suppose it is much more likely in the States, where they are very close to breaking their post office as well.

I still have one more CD in the mail from Japan, which might get caught in the crossfire.  Also, there is a package on the way from Dusty Groove in Chicago.  I may luck out and this gets in just under the wire, but most likely not, esp. as I probably have to pay customs duties on the package.  (Another compelling reason why I decided to stop having anything from Chicago shipped up here...)

I have switched almost entirely to digital delivery, certainly of bills and so forth, but TSO is in this really weird place where they want to force you to get tickets on the app (rather than emailing tickets) and if you refuse that, then they mail you the tickets.  They will have to change their practice if the strike has such long-lasting ramifications.  I will have to go through my recent mail to see what else can be switched over to digital delivery, which if adopted more broadly by more Canadians of course just further puts Canada Post on a death spiral.  It is sad of course to see how many institutions that have lasted generations are dying before our eyes.  This won't be the last, of course.