Postal workers in Okotoks are among thousands walking the picket lines across the country as the Canada Post strike continues. Shelley Taylor, shop steward for the Okotoks branch and a Rural Suburban Mail Carrier (RSMC), says local workers had hoped to avoid another strike but were left with little choice. "We didn’t want to be on strike," said Taylor. "It was prompted by the Maritimes, which forced the rest of us to go out on strike. Canada Post was supposed to have presented an offer a week ago. We're still waiting for it." Taylor says she's optimistic, especially after a call from Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu for Canada Post to bring a new offer forward. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has been without a contract for nearly two years. "Canada Post isn't coming to the table," said Taylor. "They're not making any effort to negotiate. The union has kept saying, 'Hey, we're willing to negotiate, come to the table.'" The strike was triggered after the federal government announced it would accept all recommendations from a recent review of Canada Post operations, including ending door-to-door delivery. Taylor says workers are calling for fair negotiations, improved benefits, and stronger health and safety protections. "There’s a misconception that we’re greedy or lazy, but that’s not true," she said. "A lot of people out there are single parents. For the RSMCs, a lot of them are single moms trying to make ends meet. We're not making all this money." Despite the disruption, Taylor says public response in Okotoks has been overwhelmingly positive. "I thought it would be more negative," she said. "I actually said that to these guys the first day, 'Don't expect the public to be happy this time,' and we've only had one unhappy person. The rest have been positive honks. So that's nice to see, because I didn't expect that." She added that for many rural mail carriers, their work goes far beyond delivery. "I love my job, I love my customers," said Taylor. "I've been doing the same route for 20 years. Some of these people, I know better than my family. Some of them are elderly or live alone. We check in on them, we notice when something’s not right." As talks remain stalled, Taylor hopes for a resolution through binding arbitration, a step the union has been requesting for some time. "We just want Canada Post to come to the table," she said. "We want to work." Her message to the public is simple: "Be kind. And it's not just for us, because there are other unions that are looking at going on strike. You may not agree with why they're striking or that they're on strike, but be respectful. That's what I ask."