‘A defeat’: Local post union talks Canada Post changes

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The local union representative calls upcoming changes to Canada Post’s service “awful” for nationwide mail service.

In a press release issued by the mail corporation on Thursday, April 16th, Canada Post outlined its plans to convert nearly four million Canadian addresses from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes.

The statement says doing so “will strengthen the postal service, allow it to be a better partner for businesses, enable national commerce, and help it meet its dual mandate of delivering for all Canadians without being a recurring burden on taxpayers.”

The conversion to community mailboxes is expected to take five years and save Canada Post $400 million.

It also called for “retail modernization” with reviews of post offices nationwide to validate and gather operational details, which they say will give Canada Post an “up-to-date view of each location.”

Babe Seguin, president of the local 738 chapter of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) in Fort St. John, said the changes are “like a defeat.” 

The conversion to community mailboxes has already occurred in Fort St. John, but may affect other communities in the Peace region.

“[Mailbox conversion] has already happened to us,” said Seguin, speaking to Energeticcity.ca. “We were already converted in 2015, so we have seen the worst of it in Fort St. John.”

“It will be coming to Dawson Creek at some point and Prince George. [It will] be in every community in Canada, but for us specifically, we have already taken the hit.”

Seguin added she was unsure what the plan for retail modernization actually means, and feels some ideas CUPW presented to Canada Post were not seriously considered.

“The union has pushed for as long as I’ve been here to expand services,” said Seguin. “All I see is continually cutting. They don’t take any of the union’s recommendations or suggestions.”

Seguin has said those concerned about the changes should contact their local MP to ask for a full mandated review of the post office. 

“Let [MPs] know you don’t want to lose services in your area,“ said Seguin. “That you do not want to lose rural post offices. I know we can’t get door-to-door back here, but let’s really look at what this means for the country.”

In a statement, Canada Post media relations department said the corporation is “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.”

Canada Post adds the conversion is something the company “will engage with communities as it identifies suitable locations for community mailbox sites,” and it will keep everyone, including business, bargaining agents and employees up-to-date with the changes.