Whitehorse city council scraps hand-delivered notices amid ongoing postal strike

The City of Whitehorse will stop delivering public notices by hand while Canada Post workers remain on the picket line. 

City council made the decision at a 10-minute special meeting Thursday. The city will use signs, print and radio advertising, social media and its website to alert people of public hearings.

"The city recognizes that labour disputes like this are difficult and have significant impacts on residents, workers, businesses and relationships," the city said in a statement. "Whitehorse is looking forward to an end to this strike."

The motion explicitly forbids the city from hand-delivering notices as long as the strike continues.

The meeting comes after members of the Canadian Union Of Postal Workers accused the city of using scab labour to deliver notices to residents.

"It's egregiously anti-labour and it's unconscionable," said Mac Clohan, president of the CUPW local.

"I have no doubt that it was important information and that's the point we're trying to make here with the strike is that letter mail is still important and it is a vital role to be played in this community to have members out there delivering it."

The city said planning department staff volunteered to deliver the flyers because it's required to notify residents of public hearings about projects in their neighbourhood.

But the city's zoning bylaw also permits other ways of notifying the public.

In a statement Monday, Coun. Paolo Gallina said he called for a briefing from city staff on what to do. He said he sympathizes with the city's position, but also striking CUPW workers, one of whom is his wife.

"Strikes are meant to draw attention to workers' rights, and if city employees were in a similar position, and on strike, I would expect this type of understanding and respect from others within our community," Gallina wrote.

A staff report for Thursday's meeting says strike or no strike, the city is obligated to let people know about public hearings that affect them.

"Failure to provide written notice of public hearings as required risks non-compliance with bylaws, legal challenges, loss of community trust, and costly delays if the process is invalidated," the report reads.