‘Wall to wall’ mail: post workers hustling to get holiday deliveries out, but customers should be patient

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – With Christmas around the corner and several more online sales happening within a two-month span, the demand for mail delivery is up.

But you may have noticed packages and parcels may not be getting to you as fast as they normally do.

Postal workers try to keep up with the stressful demands of delivering several more packages during the holiday season, and the Calgary president of Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says they’re filling mailboxes every single day.

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“Having worked in the plant, it’s like wall-to-wall mail,” shared Anna Beale.

More people are brought on, part-timers’ hours are increased, and overtime is offered to anyone who wants it to help make sure gifts–from Santa or not–are delivered in time to appear under the tree.

“Canada Post will hire temps and extends our hours for part-time and full time but you can only have so many people working in that building before it gets to be a health and safety issue.”

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She says between November until just after New Years, they deliver packages seven days a week.

“We come into work and we see all this mail and you’re thinking, ‘Can we get this out today?’ because there’s so much,” she chuckled.

“When it comes to Christmas, I don’t know if [workers] are staying awake when they’re having Christmas dinner!”

Beale says postal workers understand when people are miffed if their parcels don’t arrive on time–saying it’s “frustrating to no end”. But rest assured, Beale says CUPW members are doing their best to make sure you get your mail.

It just might take a couple of extra days.