CANADA POST'S REAL PLANS:

What They Aren't Telling US

Sisters and Brothers:

While workers were busy sorting and delivering letters and parcel the week before the holidays, top  Canada Post officials were also busy putting the final touches on their "Modernizing The Post" plans. While Canada Post is not sharing this information with the Union or the general Public, these plans will  have a drastic and negative impact for all.

It was by chance a CUPW local executive member happened to be in the post office boardroom when Canada Post launched one of it's "business televised broadcasts". Rather than the normal gibberish, this "BT" was different. This one featured one of CPC's Senior Vice Presidents; the SVP for Business Transformation and Continuous Improvement, and responsible for CPC's "Modern Canada Post". The broadcast was shocking and confirmed our worst fears of what the Corporation has planned for Canada's "modern" postal service.

The "Audience-Closed Broadcast" was obviously not meant to be viewed by anyone outside a small circle of CPC's top management, certainly not a CUPW local executive. Attempts by the local and the Regional Union to have the Corporation provide a copy of the broadcast have to date been unsuccessful. The following was captured from the broadcast.

On Group 2Workers

• Canada Post has already purchased letter sequencing machines from the United States as part of their $1.6 billion modernizing plans; the first ones to be installed in Winnipeg in 2010;

• The sequencing technology will save the Corporation about $350 million in letter carrier wages;

• Sequencing of mail will result in letter carriers spending more time on the street delivering to even more points of call (since prep and sortation time will be slashed);

• Increased motorization will get rid of meal travel times;

• Initially there will be objectives from letter carriers to this because as they already feel like pack mules, we (the Corporation) will make them glad to do it, maybe making them feel like pack horses;

• We have the technology now ready to implement that would take mail out of the system if a customer has a redirection service. This would bypass CUPW as it would be done by machine saving us millions in CUPW salaries;

• We (Canada Post) would provide certain large volume mailers with our address data banks for a fee. This would ensure address accuracy and kill (letter carrier) values.

ON Growing CPC Parcel Business

• (Canada Post would) cut deal with parcel shipping customers like Amazon to have all their products 'notified', saving millions in CUPW salaries;

• Purolator receives heavy tax cuts from the federal government that Canada Post can't get. We need to that instead of CUPW where we can.

On RSMCs Joining CUPW

• RSMCs gaining union right under CUPW has been a disaster. They now know their rights and are using them and the right to refuse. This has had a snowball effect because for the first time letter carriers are refusing to deliver in snowstorms.

On Worker Health and Safety

• We appeal every court decision that comes down around safe delivery. Win or lose we must jam the system as there can be no consistency. Our legal team is working hard on this.

On Equity Issues

• There is a guy upstairs named Kyung who is Asian and even though I can't understand most of what he says, trust me, he is brilliant.

• We are (Canada Post) still battling a land claim issue in BC around the fact that our plant is built on native land. We are trying to negotiate what 30 years of rent is worth. They think they are Indians but they're really businessmen. Well I should say one Indian and about 100 who are just two-bit lawyers.

If these remarks are truly reflective of the Corporation's views, then they have not been at all forthcoming with CUPW or the public. The Corporation must be held accountable at it's highest levels. These views are those of this individual only, then he does not deserve to sit on the board overseeing a National Crown Corporation and his resignation should be demanded immediately. we deserve better; Canadians deserve better.

In solidarity,

Jeff Callaghan

Education & Organization Officer