Kamloops mail carriers speak out after Canada Post cuts door-to-door service
"THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO JUST DELIVERING MAIL THAT WE PROVIDE IN A COMMUNITY."
KAMLOOPS – Instead of walking to deliver mail, Kamloops’ Canada Post workers walked the corner of Summit Drive and Columbia Street Friday to protest the Crown company’s plan to remove door to door service next year.
The announcement to strip the service and deliver mail in the form of community mailboxes starting in the summer of 2016 came Thursday. Spokespeople from Canada Post say the decision was made as a cost-saving measure and stressed the changeover would not impact mail carriers’ job security.
But the decision still doesn’t sit well with workers, who say the union contract which mandates employee rentention could be moot after the collective agreement expires this winter.
“We have decent paying jobs and if you are going to cut numerous good paying jobs in a community, it’s going to have an impact,” mail carrier Karen Guinn says. "This is a service Canadians want. To have it arbitrarily decided that they are going to lose their door-to-door service is very upsetting and very shocking."
Beyond job security issues, Guinn says workers are concerned the changeover will negatively impact residential areas, especially those where seniors or children live.
"People seem to forget the presence we are in the community. We are the eyes and the ears of every community. We take care of our neighbourhoods," she says. "I’ve worked for Canada Post for 21 years… I know when I go out and deliver my mail, I pay attention. I know who’s home (and) who isn’t. I know my seniors. I know if they’re not feeling well.”
Guinn says letter carriers help lost children and help lost pets get home.
She says they even pick up tipped over garbage cans.
"There’s so much more to just delivering mail that we provide in a community."
Then there's the weather. She says postal workers brave the elements in “all of mother nature’s glory” when most can’t.
“We’re a special breed. We struggle already in winter conditions and we’re provided tools like boot and glove allowance and cleats to keep us safe on icy and snowy roads," she says. "What about seniors and people with disabilities? They are now going to be expected to walk one or two blocks to get their mail in these conditions."
Guinn also points to a possible surge in mail theft, adding someone broke into one of the community mailboxes on her route this week.
She says after the announcement many of the people on her route stopped her to say they were disappointed with Canada Post’s decision.
"It’s unfair when it’s a service established by Canadians for Canadians,” she says.
Canada Post plans to keep residents informed of the changes moving forward on the community boxes. The corporation says it will deliver updates and will make face-to-face contact with locals to hear recommendations on where to position the boxes to best suit their neighbourhoods.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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13 responses
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we need to keep this service as it shows that we care about the city and seniors also maintains employment.
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The end of door delivery mail was enviable,I only hope that canada post uses its saving to make shipping rates cheaper, and more on par with usa shipping prices,instead of using it as bonuses for its higher ranks.
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Especiallysince all carriers are now in vehicles. One of the beauties of the job was being on foot and meeting people and dogs; exercise, fresh air and they paid you for it!
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Once everyone is ‘online’ and drones are in the air we won’t need letter carriers at all, gone the way of door to door milk and bread delivery. You had to know it was coming. The party’s over. I wouldn’t recommend the postal service to ayoung person looking for work today
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But they won’t lower the price, they will continue to raise it because they are using the postal system to line fat cat white collars’ pockets.
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If they end door to door services will they in turn lower the cost to mail a letter… after all they won’t have as many wages to pay.
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Say goodbye to the Middle Class in Canada.This is a big step in that direction.Sosorry to see this happening.
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and what is the part about “welcome to the real world” to any who may be laid off? There is no reason for them to be laid off yet the possibility of it happening is very real. They ARE in the real world working in a corporation which needs to be cleaned up. The number of employees goes down and the number of supervisors and white collars goes up. That’s no way to run anything – especially in a crown corporation whose profits are returned to the taxpayer.Any citizen who wants to have a huge impact on the tax burden in Canada should put pressure on their elected officials to clean up Canada Post. Fire the 23 at the top for supporting the $2+ Billion loan to finance postal transformation and for supporting the current CEO who has no management skills whatsoever. Cut the supervisor numbers in half and save $125 million per year. Get into middle management and the white collar jobs in half. That would be a good start.Vote NDP in the upcoming Federal election – they are the only party who has stated that they will reverse the cuts to home delivery and they will use all of the new boxes that have been put in communities to replace the old beat up boxes in rural communities.
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Losing a paper? So, you don’t mind – so be it. There are many people who DO mind and want to keep their delivery. The fact that the corporation is taking it away under false pretenses is the issue. They say that they consulted with the public and this is what the public wanted. Not true. They did not consult the public.They say that they need to do it in order to become more efficient and remain financially viable. Not true again. The amount of inefficiency that goes on in that corporation is vast. They have a supervisor who makes about $65 thousand per year for each 10 workers. there are about 40 000 workers in the country. Do the math. That’s a billion dollars every 4 years wasted on supervisors who have very little to do other than schedule people in the beginning of their shift and some minor admin work. The top 23 people in the corporation make about $11 million collectively.Now the people in between those 23 and all of those supervisors are unquantifiable. There are so many with jobs that have no impact on the business other than adding drag to the bottom line by having nothing to do with the business but costing the corporation their salary(ies).So, Mr Wardrop, YOU may not mind that you no longer have door to door delivery, but that’s your opinion. About 90 some percent of the people who are losing it want to keep it and many people who don’t have it would like to have it.
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I am a senior and just recently moved from an area on the North shore with Doorbto door delivery to an area in Batch with communiy mail boxes.The world did not end snd to me there is little or no diference 3xcept I get more exercise.Heck I’mmore upset about losing my daily paper than the mail.Even though it was a while back I dont remember a lot of rallies about that.My statement to those who may be laid off is while I am sorry for them welcome to the real world.
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With all the things that will go wrong when they discontinue door to door I wonder how those that don’t have this service function now.Must be really inconvenient.Good thing no seniors live in areas without door to door service.People need to get real.
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The convenience of online shopping will be decreased if you have to walk several blocks & carry items home or go stand in a line up somewhere to get big items. Canada Post is a really big help for people who have difficulties with mobility and the gov’t is trying to keep them to in their homes. They need our Postal Workers to maintain their independence!
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Fucking government will do anything to hurt the working class. Wonder what they would do if everyone just went on welfare.
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