What's a Mail Strike?

The union representing Canada Post letter carriers and inside postal workers has started a series of rotating strikes, shutting down postal services in a different Canadian city or region for 24 hours at a time. 

They are in a legal strike position and continue to negotiate with management...but they haven't completely shut down the postal system across the country yet.

The media declares that if these guys go on strike, it won't be as detrimental to Canadians as past Canada Post strikes were simply because they is a decline in actual use of these service by people.  In 2011, the postal system doesn't play as significant a role in the day to day life of Canadians as it did, say, 20 years ago.

Here is a brief list of what Canadians needed Canada Post for back in 1991 that in 2011 they have alternatives to:

• Package Delivery (couriers are an option)
• Music (remember the Columbia Record, Tape and CD Club?)
• Magazine subscriptions (can get them online now)
• The many bill sent and paid each month (both processes can be done exclusively online now)
• Any sort of payment (today it's a simple direct deposit)
• Personal mail (e-mail)

There is probably much more I could add to this list!  Feel free to do so via the comments section!