May 29, 2008 - 06:26 AM

By Chris Hall

SCUGOG - Those who deliver the bills to your mailbox say they're having trouble making their own ends meet due to surging fuel prices.

With gas prices now into the high $1.20/litre range and creeping up, the cost of regularly filling the tank to carry out work duties is becoming onerous and has a dozen or so local mail carriers concerned about their future.

It's time, stressed the Port Perry Post Office's rural-suburban mail carriers at a brief demonstration held Tuesday morning, for the federal government to step up and lend a hand to its employees who spend their days driving about delivering the mail.

The short May 27 demonstration, which started at 9 a.m. and lasted nearly 15 minutes, was not a walk-out by the unionized posties, but merely a brief "coffee break" to raise public awareness regarding their concerns about skyrocketing fuel prices.

"It's a protest against high gas prices, we're to the point that most of us could lose our jobs. We can't afford to do the gas anymore," said Lesley Mahar-Sleep, the shop steward at the Queen Street post office.

Standing at the south end of the Mary Street public parking lot, where each of the carriers strategically parked their vehicles which were outfitted with protest signs, Ms. Mahar-Sleep explained their beef this week is with the federal government, and not with the postal service.

The government, she said simply, has to get "some control" over the rising fuel prices.

"Regulate them, something," said Ms. Mahar-Sleep. "We work for the government, why can't we have some sort of subsidizing just for what we're doing. We're delivering to the public a service that is supposed to be for them -- why can't we have something done by the government to make it so that we can keep our jobs?"

Carriers are paid a set amount each day, depending on the kilometres they drive. They're paid about 50 cents a kilometre. According to Ms. Mahar-Sleep, she receives about $30 daily for the 74 kilometres she drives. That stipend is supposed to cover fuel, repair and insurance (which can run as much as $800 a month due to carriers' need for commercial liability coverage), she added.

"It's not a cheap thing to do like people think it is," Ms. Mahar-Sleep said of carriers' duties. "Everyone thinks Canada Post (employees) make great money -- you don't."

Protests over gas prices, she said, are something the general public should get used to.

"The truckers just did it, we're doing it, who knows who's next," she added.

Cindy Cracknell, a carrier for about 12 years, said that the surging cost of fuel has finally forced the issue for those who delivery the mail. "I want to be able to do my job and do it properly, but I don't feel like I should have to pay to do it," she said. "We need to stand up and let people know we're hurting (financially)."

At the start of the demonstration, Ms. Mahar-Sleep noted other carriers across the nation -- there's about 6,600 in total -- were invited to take part in the public awareness campaign.

But that's news to Canada Post's Scott Lewis, who noted that the Port Perry action was an "isolated" event.

"They're certainly welcome to express themselves, but it's done now. It was brief," said Mr. Lewis, a communications manager.

Of particular importance, he added, was that there would be no delay in mail delivery on Tuesday.

As for the carriers' concerns, Mr. Lewis noted the rural-suburban mail carriers are paid in accordance with the collective agreement that was negotiated on their behalf by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. The current contract will expire in 2011, but the pact can be opened every two years for tweaking and currently the two sides are working on amending the deal. He refused to provide details on the talks.

Officials at the Port Perry postal outlet refused to comment on Tuesday's demonstration, referring all questions to corporate communications officials.

A call placed to Durham MP Bev Oda's office regarding the matter was not returned.

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