“It’s extremely unfortunate.”
That’s from Local CUPW 812 President, Nicole Chouinard after Canada Post announced the end of door-to-door delivery paving the way for the installation of community mail boxes.
The transition is likely to take a few years to complete.
Chouinard told Vista Radio in remote northern cities like ours, the move is not ideal.
“The logistics in getting to those community mailboxes, to get your mail versus opening your front door and looking at your mailbox is going to be a drastic change for people and its not going to be for the better. Community mailboxes get broken into and they need services like snow clearing, salting and sanding.”
“Our city is a unique case because we are quite spread out. The logistics of putting community mailboxes in a city like Prince George is going to translate in people having to drive a ways to get their mail, which is not ideal especially if you are a senior or have a disability.”
She added for Canada Post to make a decision like this at a time where postal workers are set to vote on a new contract is nothing short of disappointing.
“They are willing to trade in jobs for the cost of running vehicles, putting in equipment and the maintenance that is require for CMB’s at the expense of the services Canadians have become accustomed to especially in a city like Prince George.”
“Canada Post and the federal government have been collaborating, leaving us in the dark about it. When everybody in the country got the announcement, that is when we found out as well.”
Earlier today (Tuesday), Canada Post issued the following statement to Vista Radio:
We want to provide an update on our transformation.
As you know, the Government of Canada is lifting long-standing barriers to reform and directed us to implement transformative changes to ensure we can meet the evolving needs of Canadians without becoming a recurring burden on taxpayers.
We continue to work closely with the government on the details of our proposed transformation plan. At the same time, given the government’s direction to begin taking initial steps, we are reaching out to our bargaining agents to consult on our approach to several proposed changes.
These proposed changes include converting the remaining addresses that still receive delivery at the door to community mailboxes and modernizing our retail network.
Once initial consultations with our bargaining agents are complete, we will begin engaging municipal officials and other key stakeholders.
We are also collaborating with the government on updates to our delivery standards for letter mail, which will require amendments to the Canadian Postal Service Charter.
Canada Post has reached an important turning point. Our transformation will strengthen the postal service, allow us to be a better partner for businesses, and help us meet our dual mandate of delivering for all Canadians in a way that is financially self-sustainable.
We’re committed to moving forward in a thoughtful way that prioritizes service for all Canadians while protecting access to vital postal services in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. We’re also committed to treating employees with respect throughout this process.
We’ll continue to update Canadians, customers, employees and other stakeholders on our transformation, and provide as much advance notice as possible of any changes that affect them.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing pgnews@vistaradio.ca.
