As Christmas nears with the postal strike still in effect across the country, children in the Okanagan can rest assured that their letters to Santa will be delivered. 

Unions representing postal workers in the Shuswap, Kelowna, Kamloops and Vernon were on the picket line outside the Canada Post office on 32nd Avenue in Vernon Tuesday, Dec. 3, the 18th day of the strike. 

Among them was Mandi Poss, president of Kelowna's Local 760 Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), who told The Morning Star that despite the strike, letters will still be making their way to Santa this holiday season.

While not all postal picket lines will be keeping the Santa letter program going amid the strike, Poss said the program will be running in Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kamloops, Lake Country and Kelowna Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” and most other cities, as Poss was aware of "very few places that aren't" doing Santa letters. 

Letters to Santa can be brought to any of the picket lines.

"In the Kelowna local we are going to be setting up boxes," Poss said. "If you want to send out Santa letters you should bring them to any of the (picket) lines. In Kelowna we have six lines, one in Lake Country, one in Rutland, two downtown, one in West Kelowna and one in Peachland."

As usual, letters should be addressed to:

Santa Claus

North Pole

H0H 0H0

Canada

This year, people are asked to include a phone number on their letter as well, "just in case the mail doesn't start going, which we're in hopes to be back to work soon. But if we're not, if the mail's not going, we'll be able to call mom and dad to come out and help pick up from the elves," Poss said. 

Poss said carriers will also be delivering socio-economic cheques on a volunteer basis during the strike. 

"With CUPW, this fight isn't with the public. The public has been very supportive and welcoming for us," Poss said. "Carriers all cross our country volunteer to come in, they get in their trucks and they deliver and get out those cheques."

As for the strike situation, Poss said Canada Post needs to come back to the negotiating table and come to a resolution with workers. 

"We need our wages to go up, everybody does with inflation," she said. "Two years ago during the pandemic we actually extended our contract and we extended it so that Canadians wouldn't be hurt and that we would be out there and we would be getting everything out for the people. And in that deal with Canada Post we were told we'd have a fair negotiation. We've been in negotiations for over a year now and it's been anything but fair."

She said the strike isn't just about fair wages, but also health and safety.

"Right now they actually cut off all health care for long-term disabilities ... they are also looking to take away health care from our retirees and put them on a different benefit plan," Poss said, adding the fight also centres on pensions, which she says are in jeopardy for new hires. 

The postal strike began on Nov. 15.