Postal strike in Canada (7 messages) Birdie MacLennan 25 Nov 1997 21:38 UTC
7 messages, 242 lines: (1)-------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 16:29:35 -0400 From: Terri Winchcombe <winchctg@TUNS.CA> Subject: Re: Postal strike in Canada On Tue, 25 Nov 1997, Birdie MacLennan wrote: > I'm wondering if there are any subscribers on SERIALST who have a sense as > to what's going on with the postal strike in Canada, how long it might > last and how it is effecting libraries -- both in Canada and abroad ?? ... Hello from DalTech! The "Posties" have been on strike for 7 days now and this morning's news said both sides have agreed to mediation. No word yet on how long the strike might drag on. I hope it is over soon. The mail is one of those things you "don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" (--Joni Mitchell, I think!). I can't speak for all Canadian libraries but in our library we are missing the postal service. We're part of the largest University in Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University, but our library is not the largest on Campus. Since the Postal workers started threatening strike I have been using the internet, faxing, and e-mailing our orders and claims. Items that must be mailed are piling up. The only "mail" we are receiving is that which comes by courier. I'm just beginning to worry about how invoices are going to be paid. It is frustrating to be at the mercy of the Postal Workers, but on the bright side ... if no bills are coming to my mailbox, I don't have to pay them! (yet!) **************************************** Terri G. Winchcombe Technical Services Technician DalTech Library Dalhousie University, Sexton Campus PO Box 1000 Halifax NS B3J 2X4 Canada 902-420-7706 Fax: 902-420-7831 e-mail winchctg@tuns.ca **************************************** Visit the DalTech home page at: <<http://www.tuns.ca/~library>> (2)------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 15:40:42 -0900 (AST) From: Marie Murphy <mamm1@nsh.library.ns.ca> Subject: Re: Postal strike in Canada Hi there - The postal strike is still on - this is the 6th day. As of today the Union and Canada Post have a mediator so we hope it will end soon - when? I can't say for sure. We are not looking forward to the onslaught of newspapers and periodicals that will surely bombard us when this is over - especially when we only have 2 part-time checkin clerks (17.5 hrs/wk each). THis also effects the claiming of titles, even more so when we are on automatic claiming (DYNIX) . Faxon Canada, our main vendor, has been in contact with the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association and significant Canadian publishers to determine the possible impact of a postal disruption on subscription receipt. Representatives from these institutions believe that the strike would be short and the impact on circulation would be minimal. However, in the case of claiming FAXON Canada has made the following recommendation - If Postal Disruption lasts 1-7 days Delay claiming by 1 week 1 wk - 3 wks Delay claiming by 2 weeks over 3 weeks Delay claiming by 1 month. You may want to follow the same guidelines for your Canadian subscriptions. I hope this information is of some benefit to you. Marie D. Murphy Serials Supervisor Technical Services Halifax Regional Library mamm1@office.nsh.library.ns.ca Phone (902)-869-4425 (3)------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 15:26:52 -0500 From: Esther Sleep <esleep@SPARTAN.AC.BROCKU.CA> Subject: Re: Postal strike in Canada Hi! The postal strike started last Wednesday (Nov. 19th) at midnight. There is some talk that the government may legistate them back to work by the end of the week. The strike will probably not be too long. We have had strikes before and we always get everything in the end. It's not heart surgery. It gives us a pause to do things that normally get ignored but should be done. *********************************************************************** Esther L. Sleep, B.A., B.L.S., M.L.S. Head, Serials Dept. James A. Gibson Library Brock University St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 Canada e-mail: esleep@spartan.ac.brocku.ca Phone: (905) 688-5550,Ext.3266 Fax : (905) 988-5490 *********************************************************************** (4)------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 14:51:02 -0500 From: Carlyle Rodrigo, The Journal of Rheumatology <jrheum@JRHEUM.COM> Subject: Re: Postal strike in Canada Toronto, ON, November 25. So far no end in site and negotiations have stalled. They have called in a mediator. >>From the Toronto Star, November 25: "The union and Canada Post met last night with Warren Edmondson, the director-general of federal mediation and conciliation services. Acceptance by the two sides ... removed any immediate threat to legislate an end to walkout, which began last Wednesday." ... "The big difference here is that both parties have accepted the offer of the minister for mediation ... That's possibly a positive sign. They want some help; it's an indication they want a collective bargaining agreement" Darrell Tingley (CUPW president) told reporters that "there will be defiance against any government legislation that comes into place" ie closing down highways, bridges, airports. "If mediation fails, it would take time for back-to-work legislation to be passed." Hope this helps you figure things out. My feeling at least the strike will continue to December 1. Regards, Carlyle Rodrigo Manuscript Manager The Journal of Rheumatology Phone: (416) 967-5155 Fax: (416) 967-7556 email: jrheum@jrheum.com (5)---------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 14:37:01 -0500 From: Kim Maxwell <kmaxwell@MIT.EDU> Subject: Re: Postal strike in Canada Birdie, This is what we were told at MIT by the our mail service department: "As you may or may not be aware, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers' contract with Canada Post expired at 12:01 AM this morning [Nov. 18]." "Canada Post and the CPUW are now in a lockout/strike position. So far it seems that neither side is willing to shut down the Canadian postal service. At the moment, Canadian mail workers are still on the job." "Talks between Canada Post and the CUPW are continuing under a media blackout." "For now, we advise you *not* to send any mail to Canada. If you have urgent mail, we suggest that you use DHL, our courier partner, or some other private international courier firm." That information is current as of November 18, and I haven't seen any updates from our mail department since then. So far, I don't think we've noticed much of a problem in receipts here, but it might be too early to tell. Kim Maxwell Assistant Librarian for Serials Acquisitions MIT Libraries, Room 14E-210 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 USA phone: 617-253-7028 fax: 617-253-2464 email: kmaxwell@mit.edu (6)------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 11:30:00 -0800 From: Mike Scully <mscully@SWEDISH.ORG> Organization: Swedish Medical Center Subject: Postal strike in Canada >>From another "border state" library, but with a different slant, I agree: our stock-in-trade is Interlibrary Loan (photocopying, most often, actually), and we have developed a good relationship with a number of hospital- and healthcare- libraries in British Columbia and Alberta -- mostly B.C. Their collections tend to reflect their status as a member of the British Commonwealth, so one or more of them often have the "Journal of the Royal Society of Some-Obscure-Medical-Specialty", plus, obviously, Canada-based items. In a pinch, during this strike, we may call and ask them to fax -- haven't had to, as yet. We, too, have been advised by our Mail department that the US Postal Service is not accepting items bound for Canada, and has instructed us to use alternate shipping methods (FedEx, UPS, etc.) in the interim. Sorry I can't offer any further news, just our sympathy, and the thought that you're not alone. :-( Reference Library Mike Scully mscully@swedish.org Swedish Medical Center 206/781-6462 www.wln.com/~swedlib1 PO Box 70707/NW Market & Barnes 206/781-6193 (fax) "All opinions are myown." Seattle WA 98122 (7)---------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 13:18:46 -0600 (CST) From: Di Neumeister <drneumei@lcac1.loras.edu> Subject: Re: Postal strike in Canada I read an article (AP, I think) in the newspaper yesterday which speculated that the strike could be a long one. The only thing the postal workers have agreed to deliver are welfare and social security checks. The author of the article seemed to think that e-mail and alternative carriers (like UPS, I guess) would be able to handle most of the mail for businesses, though he/she did mention that mail-order catalog companies are worried since this is their biggest season of the year. Nothing in the article on libraries. Diane Neumeister Serials Asst. Wahlert Memorial Library Loras College Dubuque, IA.