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Local CUPW president sympathetic towards Canada Post layoffs; eyeing new contract

Canada Post and the union are headed back to the bargaining table once again with a mediator.

Postal workers are still on rotating strike action following some controversial service amendments were made by Ottawa to modernize the company.

Local CUPW 812 President, Nicole Chouinard told Vista Radio also touched on Canada Post’s latest move to layoff several management positions as part of its government-mandated restructuring.

“It seems to have become to management heavy in the last few years compared to what it used to be. It seems like a realistic thing that if there are fewer CUPW members than there should be fewer management members.”

“It would be insensitive for me to not care that people are being laid off. Because, as a union that is something we are trying to avoid happening to our members.”

Chouinard added the current job action will remain the same unless they are told otherwise

“The rotating strikes are working for now and that we are as employees of Canada Post have a paycheque and that the public is able to get their product, their mail, their parcels and the rest of that.”

“People are people and they have bills to pay. If you have a job being laid off its not ideal and I am sympathetic to that but in my seven years with the company we have seen a change locally in the ratio of unionized members to management.”

The two parties haven’t met since Canada Post tabled an updated offer on Oct. 3, a package that was voted down by the union’s leadership team.

Since 2018 the corporation has lost more than $5 billion, including over $1 billion last year. Losses this year are expected to reach nearly $1.5 billion.

Letter mail has plunged from 5.5 billion pieces two decades ago to about two billion today, while the company’s share of the parcel market has fallen from 62 per cent in 2019 to less than 24 per cent, the government said.

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Brendan Pawliw
Brendan Pawliw
Since moving to Prince George in 2015, Brendan has covered local sports including the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, Prince George Spruce Kings, UNBC Timberwolves, Cariboo Cougars AAA, and Northern Capitals U18 female hockey teams. Career highlights include play-by-play during the Spruce Kings' BCHL championship runs in 2018 and 2019, including the Doyle Cup win. He also covered the 2019 National Junior A Championship, the 2017 Telus Cup, the 2022 World Women’s Curling Championship, and the 2022 BC Summer Games. Brendan is the news voice on 94.3 The Goat and Country 97 FM, reporting on crime, real estate, labour, and environmental issues. Outside of work, he officiates box lacrosse and fastball, sits on the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame board, and co-hosts the Hockey North podcast.

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