Canada Post and its union CUPE, are entirely too precious. The presumed entitlements of its employees under a series of union contracts make a mockery of that old rhyme about mail delivery: "Rain or shine, snow or sleet, we deliver your mail".

Oh, really?

Actually, not quite. Not unless, for example, the homeowner is prepared to obey the fine print in the contract that Canada Post heartily accepts on behalf of its coddled postal delivery workers, matter of fact.

There are codes and expectations to be met, some reasonable, many more reflecting just how entitled workers believe they must be in their work environment, not actually reflecting exposure to dangerous situations, but expectations nonetheless. Take, for example, the situation of a single mother, age 50, who in this depressed job environment has been unable to find full-time employment in her field of structural interior design and property management, despite years of experience and many past, highly-responsible contracts delivered on time and in excellent order.

She has been putting food on the table by taking ill-paid part-time employment and reluctantly accepting financial assistance from her family. She is stretching her resources to make ends meet, to pay all her bills, to ensure her young daughter has the environment any child requires to feel secure and well cared for.

When she bought her property six years ago she felt fairly assured of ongoing employment in her field. The last several years have proven extraordinarily difficult; she has been without a contract for a year and a half, struggling now to get along. The mailbox that had sufficed, and is in excellent shape despite that road ploughs do their best during the winter snow-plough months to knock it down entirely, no longer fits the model that Canada Post insists upon.

Its height is somewhat lacking, evidently, contravening 'rules'. The rural mail delivery person may not have complained, but inspections take place from time to time in accord with the union contract and obviously the placement of her mailbox has been singled out as inadequate. She has no idea how many others in the neighbourhood, let alone in rural areas to begin with, are being hit with a similar notice, that mail delivery will be stopped unless she complies with the rules as set out in the communication.

She has no idea how to set about pounding a new post into the ground to affix her mailbox to. Nor does she have the financial wherewithal to employ someone to perform that task for her. This niggling, nagging threat to her peace of mind with respect to paying her bills on time, on top of having the economic resources to do so, threatens to break the camel's back.

Doubtless there are countless others who can recount bitterly the insulting assaults on their tax-payer rights to count on regular mail delivery. Canada Post Corporation, while on the brink of redundancy in light of other, alternative means of communication, seems to have little sense of public responsibility, nor conscience.