As physical stores have been shut down for months, many people have resorted to ordering products online.
However, social media has been full of people venting frustrations about wait times and delays in the delivery of packages. Some of those tracking their packages say they’ve been sitting at the same location for weeks.
Craig Dyer, a representative of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), says the difficulty lies in the volume of packages, jobs being reduced in St. John’s, and a number of other issues.
Record-Breaking Volume
Canada Post says it reached an all-time, one-day record of deliveries this year. On May 19, 2.1-million parcels were delivered throughout Canada.
Dyer says Canada Post was not set up to handle the immense volume of packages. Now, he says, the corporation is scrambling to meet commitments that have been canceled due to COVID-19.
Dyer states that there are many reasons behind delivery delays, from the sheer number of parcels to staffing levels, planning, health and safety, which he says remains a concern for workers.
He says St. John’s is deleting positions, while the volume of packages continues to show significant growth—something he takes issue with.
Upgrades Coming to Dieppe
Dieppe—which is known by some as the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of packages—is using a 20-year-old system, which Dyer says is being updated this August.
Dieppe acts as the final mainland scan point before deliveries are shipped to the island, making it seem as though packages stall at the facility. The new system will inform the public when their package leaves Dieppe.