Burnaby city council is backing the union representing postal workers amid a controversial review of Canada Post in the wake of the strike in December.
Jan Simpson, the national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, wrote to Mayor Mike Hurley raising concerns about the new Industrial Inquiry Commission that will examine “the future of the public post office with a very broad scope.”
She asked municipalities to share their perspective on the future of the federal Crown corporation, noting in the last public review in 2016 “the active engagement of municipalities was critical” particularly around maintaining door-to-door delivery and stopping further roll-out of community mailboxes.
“However, there is nothing to stop the commission from making recommendations to bring that back or to suggest other cutbacks,” Simpson said in the letter.
Hurley agreed with the union and slammed the commission at a council meeting Feb. 11.
“There’s no doubt that this is another attack on workers, workers who many people feel should be working for less,” he said.
“Of course, that’s all part of the race to the bottom.”
He warned against privatizing the postal service.
“Make no mistake, if they can get rid of Canada Post and go to the private sector, who will offer us a great deal for the first two years, and, as always, the price will go through the roof after that.”
Coun. Maita Santiago asked councillors to support the union’s request.
“We all recall the disruptions caused by the Canada Post strike and how it highlighted really the vital service that they provide to all of us,” Santiago said.
She highlighted particular proposals from the union, including creating a check-in service in which postal workers could check in on seniors or people with mobility issues to “make sure everything is OK and deliver peace of mind,” according to CUPW.
Burnaby council unanimously voted to write to federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon and the federal Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, who is responsible for Canada Post, to “demand” that no major changes should be made to Canada Post “without a full, thorough public review” including public hearings throughout Canada.
Canada Post says the commission has been directed to examine the collective bargaining dispute, and specifically:
- Canada Post’s financial situation;
- the company’s need to diversify or alter its delivery models in response to current business demands;
- Canada Post’s viability as it is currently configured;
- the union’s negotiated commitments to job security and full-time employment;
- the need to protect the health and safety of employees.
Simpson noted it will likely be the next federal government that will determine what to do with the commission’s report.
The commission must submit its final report to the federal government by May 15.
