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An Alberta cabinet minister is weighing in on the ongoing Canada Post strike, demanding the federal government to intervene.
With only two weeks away until Christmas, Edmonton businesses say pressure is mounting to keep up.At Cloud Nine Pajamas, they’re working through many of their holiday and Black Friday orders. But this year, that looks a little different.“It’s just been crazy to have to pivot basically every single day,” said Jeanie Borremans, E-commerce manager at Cloud Nine Pajamas.In the past two years, Cloud Nine’s online store jumped from five per cent of their business to 50 per cent — so Canada Post is vital.“They are the only way we’re able to service our rural customers, those with P.O. boxes. They’ve gotten kind of nothing this year, they’re not able to ship,” said Borremans. The store was already working with other shipping partners to bridge the gap and deliver international orders.Now they’re leaning on them even more.“Every day the team and I, we kind of decide who we’re going to be shipping with, like whose been taking the longest to get those parcels out. So when I say every day is different, it truly is, whether or not we’re going to ship with one courier or another,” said Borremans.This pressure is something many Alberta businesses have to navigate. This is why the provincial government is now calling on Ottawa to intervene.
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Wednesday afternoon, Jobs, Economy and Trade Minister Matt Jones issued a statement saying he is concerned by a “lack of progress” in negotiations. “The federal government must use every tool at its disposal and take immediate action to end this strike before it harms more Canadians and further damages the livelihoods of countless Albertans and Alberta’s economy,” Jones said.
A call the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) echoes. It says the labour dispute is costing small businesses millions of dollars a day.“We think that can be done through back to work legislation, if the federal government has another method of resolving this problem we’d love to hear it and we would encourage them to do it,” said Bradlee Whidden, policy analyst with the CFIB.Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says despite growing pressure to intervene, Ottawa will remain on the sidelines.“It’s time for these parties to reflect the great responsibility that they have, get on with these negotiations,” said MacKinnon. Cloud Nine says they’ll continue to use as many couriers as they need in the meantime. And set up a little snack station at the front of their store to say thanks.“We know they’re working extra just to get our customers packages to them before Christmas and they are doing a phenomenal job,” said Borremans.
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