Canada Post employee denied short-term disability claim because cancer diagnosis came during strike

A red Canada Post postbox is pictured beside Canada Post employee Chantelle Lucyshyn from Kitchener, Ont. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News)

A Kitchener, Ont. woman’s fight against ovarian cancer was amplified by another battle.

“Diagnosed on Nov. 8,” said Chantelle Lucyshyn. “At that time, we were still at work, I was still working,” the 23-year Canada Post employee added.

The stage 4 cancer diagnosis was hard to hear. Work may have been a welcomed distraction until the strike.

“We went out on strike on Nov. 15 and Nov. 25 was when my doctor had decided to take me off work,” said Lucyshyn.

She submitted a short-term disability claim to the insurance company Canada Life. She wasn’t expecting the emailed response she got from the plan administrator.

“Canada Post has advised at this time that they will not be paying any disability benefits to employees who were considered disabled … within the strike period,” an email to Lucyshyn reads.

Despite the strike ending on Dec. 17, Lucyshyn was told because her date of disability fell within the strike period, she was out of luck.

“Canada Post’s position at this time is that benefits would not be payable throughout the entire duration of your absence, even though the strike has now ended,” the email goes on to say.

“I had my surgery Jan. 10 and I had found out two days before my surgery,” said Lucyshyn. “It’s just such an added stress onto the family and friends.”

Her son Marshall Law wasn’t willing to just sit back and watch so he posted about his mother’s situation online.

“We kind of thought about how many other thousands of postal workers that might be going through the same situation,” said Law. “I had members of Canada Post from as far out as Walkerton [and] Saskatchewan posting it in their local union page for everyone to see.”

Then, this week an encouraging call came from the insurance company.

“She said, ‘I don’t know who you have advocating for you … but it reached the top and the decision has been reversed,’” said Lucyshyn. “I had asked if it was for me or nationally and she said national. She was very excited on my behalf.”

That means the change could cover more employees in this situation.

CTV News reached out to Canada Post about the apparent change of heart, but a spokesperson said: “We don’t comment publicly on personnel matters.”

Lucyshyn says she doesn’t need to know the reason and is just thrilled her voice was heard.

“That’s what we fight for, especially when we were out on strike,” said Lucyshyn.

It is a small victory to help take on the bigger battle ahead.

Lucyshyn will still have to pay for travel expenses for regular visits to Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton for ongoing treatment, as well as costs for certain medications.

Her son has set up a fundraiser to help offset some of those expenses.