Edmontonians have noticed recently that their mail is now arriving much later than previously. Some residents have reported receiving their mail as late as 8:00 p.m. or later. Many small businesses, schools and banks are reporting receiving their mail after business hours, negatively impacting their business. This deterioration of service is the result of changes made by Canada Post to its delivery method. It is part of the Crown Corporation’s move to further mechanize postal operations.
Canada Post has been a profitable crown corporation for the past 15 years, paying hundreds of millions of dollars in dividends to the Federal Government and hundreds of millions more in taxes over that period. We believe that Canadians deserve to see these profits translate into improved services and expansion by providing new services.
Canada Post used to ensure that there were sufficient letter carriers to cover all letter carrier routes. Now they have reduced staffing to a minimum resulting in letter carriers delivering as much as 4 – 6 hours in the dark. Many letter carriers have family responsibilities ( i.e. grandparents, parents with young children, caring for aging parents, etc.,) and are forced to work for as many as 15 hours in a day or face discipline up to and including losing their job if they refuse.
Postal Workers have tried reasoning with Canada Post over the unsafe delivery method, late night delivery and deterioration of service, to no avail. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has proposed reasonable alternatives and ways to expand postal services for Canadians that make economic sense. Canada Post chooses instead to reduce services to Canadians. This has included closing rural and small post offices, cutting hours of customer counters, not providing sufficient letter carrier staffing to cover all routes, changing starting times for letter carriers, and removing street letter boxes. Where will it end?
How can we help each other? Please take the time to call your MP or call Canada Post toll free at 1-866-267-1177
You can contact Bev Ray, President-Canadian Union of Postal Workers, through our website union@cupwedm.net or call 780-423-9000 for more information.
