Central Alberta postal workers may soon be on strike or in a lockout position along with their counterparts across the nation.

Central Alberta postal workers may soon be on strike or in a lockout position along with their counterparts across the nation.

Since late 2015 talks between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have been ongoing and labour negotiations continue.

Following a 60-day conciliation period that ended on June 10, the parties are now in a 21-day “cooling-off” period. No action can be taken by either side before July 2.

At this time, it is unknown how Innisfail and area residents' mail service will be impacted.

The Innisfail Province contacted officials with Canada Post by phone last week and received a reply to its request for comment via email.

“Canada Post understands the importance of the service we provide, and we've been working hard since negotiations started in late 2015 to get a deal that is fair to our employees, recognizes the changes to our business and the evolving needs of our customers,” said Phil Legault, manager, media relations with Canada Post. “As we are in conciliation, no legal work disruption can occur until the end of June.”

Canada Post officials in Innisfail were unable to comment on the matter and directed requests for comment to Canada Post's head office in Ottawa, Ont.

“We can't make any comment because it's totally out of our hands (and) the negotiations are out of our hands,” said a local post office official. “We're waiting on word and instructions from higher up.”

A call to CUPW Local 818 based in Red Deer was not immediately returned.

According to reports and negotiation updates by Canada Post, in the event of a full labour disruption, Canada Post will not operate. Mail and parcels will not be delivered and no new items will be accepted. Any mail and parcels within the postal system at the time of a labour disruption or lockout would be secured and delivered as quickly as possible once operations resume.

However, should a lockout or strike occur, reports state that key mail such as child tax benefits, old age security pension and Canada Pension Plan benefits will still be delivered.

A Calgary businessman at the post office last Wednesday collecting his mail said he was not too concerned over a possible postal strike in the coming weeks.

“It's not a huge concern, not for us. Everything is done electronically for our business,” he said, noting that he wished to remain anonymous. “We survived the other (Canada Post strikes) too. We just make arrangements to make sure everything gets done in a timely manner,” he added.

“As far as corporate, we mail very little (because) everything is done electronically.”

kjean@innisfail.greatwest.ca