CANADA - Postal Offices Gone Awry - Postal changes crucial

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Post office gone awry


By Julee Mapes, The StarPhoenix January 11, 2011 Re: Staff shortages leave mail undelivered (SP, Dec. 31). Canada Post's failure to meet its obligation to approximately 1,800 Saskatoon residents is part of a trend that's becoming prevalent across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

A transformation that's been dubbed "The Modern Post" was recently introduced to Winnipeg, and delivery failure to homes and businesses there are happening daily.

Mail carriers at an entire facility invoked their right to refuse dangerous work one day in November. Canada Post reportedly is using retired supervisors from the region to service small portions of some high-profile routes, but is missing delivery commitments regularly to ordinary residents.

Postal workers in Winnipeg have attempted to inform the public, but Canada Post responded by reminding all employees of its policy regarding social media. In short, your job may be in jeopardy should you say anything bad about the Crown corporation publicly.

Sadly, when the CBC reports on what's happening, a 10-second blurb barely scratches the surface of what I deem to be informative journalism. The StarPhoenix, too, barely did the story justice. The explanation isn't that the carriers had the flu (blame the worker). It is about the corporation's lack of commitment to service, safety, customers and to a modern post.

There is nothing modern about the direction this company is heading, I wouldn't be surprised if the pony express is the next introduction in postal transformation.

Julee Mapes

Langham


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Canada Post is making substantial operational changes throughout its network, on a scale that hasn't happened in 40 years.

They come at a crucial time for the Canadian postal system, and time is not on our side.

Our customers and markets are changing rapidly. Letter mail alone has declined by 11.4 per cent in the past four years, and the trend continues. This means a loss of revenue of more than $350 million.

To secure the future of this company and our employees, we need to make changes now.

Change is never easy and certainly not taken lightly. Our commitment to service, safety and our customers guide our decisions.

The changes being made across Canada have not yet been implemented in Saskatoon. So it's surprising that Julee Mapes, a Canadian Union of Postal Workers executive with the Saskatoon local, would suggest the new delivery model is why we are experiencing staff shortages in Northern Saskatchewan.

We just completed our busiest time of year, delivering more than a billion pieces of mail. It's also a season when people take holidays, and sick days rise, as well.

In addition, we must compete with a thriving economy in the region, and staffing remains a daily challenge.

Colleen Frick

Director, Canada Post communications

Western Canada



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