Haines Junction, Yukon residents ask for better pay and support for postmaster

The community of Haines Junction. Residents say without amenities like a pharmacy, a reliable postal service in the village is a “lifeline.” (Anna Desmarais/CBC)

By Katie Todd · CBC

Residents say months of short staffing problematic for those accessing medicine, cheques and other goods

Some residents of Haines Junction, Yukon think Canada Post should do a better job of supporting its rural employees.

There’s been months of restricted hours and closures at the town’s post office as the organization looked for a new postmaster — its fourth in three years.

That’s meant a big disruption for the Yukon community of just over 1,000 people.

Resident Michael Schmidt said the post service isn’t just nice-to-have — it’s a lifeline.

“A lot of people here still rely on postal services to get their welfare cheque or their medicine,” he said.

“Canada Post … they need to understand that reliability is an issue.”

The Haines Junction post office is predominantly run by one postmaster.

An auxiliary staff member helped to open the office for half days and full days over the past few months, until Canada Post found a new employee.

But Schmidt said sometimes the post office was closed for days at a time.

“It has to be there five days a week,” he said.

“We don’t live down somewhere in southern Canada where I can have UPS or FedEx will deliver right to my door. We don’t have that choice here.”

‘I don’t think the issues are going to go away anytime soon’

Marliese Whelan, who worked as postmaster until 2021, said Canada Post isn’t doing enough to retain its staff.

“I hate to say it, but I think this little community is going to keep having issues with the post office. I don’t think the issues are going to go away anytime soon,” she said.

According to a recent job posting on the organization’s website, the Haines Junction postmaster receives $21.64 an hour.

Whelan said that simply isn’t a “livable” wage.

“What Canada Post expects you to do at that job, for the amount of money that they expect you to do — you wonder if it’s worth it,” she said.

“When I worked there, it was very, very stressful and very physically demanding and exhausting.

”

Whelan said when it comes to filling gaps in staffing, the post office can’t bring in any workers from Whitehorse, 150 kilometres away, because they work for a different union.

But she felt Canada Post “should have a responsibility to make sure that the post office is manned at all times.”

“I think they may be getting away with a little bit too much,” she said.

Whelan acknowledged the efforts of the auxiliary staff member, who she said went above and beyond to make sure Haines Junction residents could still send and receive mail over the past few months.

She graciously put in hours of work at the post office “despite having a second job, and a life outside of work,” Whelan said.

“Mary is the glue that has held that post office together the past two-and-a-half years. And everyone in this town will agree.”

Haines Junction MLA Wade Istchenko agreed Canada Post needs to step up its pay for rural postmasters.

He said the organisation also needs to consider its rules for rural settings.

In recent months, he said one postmaster began asking Haines Junction residents for their ID to collect parcels, which is Canada Post policy.

People did not respond well.

“Here, everybody knows everybody. So I think that got on on some of the residents nerves,” he said.

“With some of the policies Canada Post creates, I don’t think they support their postmasters that well to help them out with some of the related issues that happen … so that’s why you see the postmasters leaving their positions.”

Letter to the federal government

Last month Istchenko wrote to Ottawa, detailing his concerns about the post office.

He asked Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement, for certainty that the post office would stay open five days a week, for good.

In a response to questions from CBC News, the office of the Minister of Public Services and Procurement issued a statement confirming it was looking into his request.

“We recognize the importance of Canada Post especially to Northerners and we are aware of the pressing concerns being raised by members of the community in Haines Junction with its post office. Our office is working with Canada Post to ensure that the community has access to quality, efficient and reliable postal services that the community relies on.”

A Canada Post spokesperson confirmed with the addition of the new postmaster, the post office has returned to regular hours of operation, five days a week.

The spokesperson thanked customers for their understanding and patience as the organisation looked for staff.

This article is republished from RCI.