CUPW - Standing Our Ground (Video)

CUPW has a longstanding commitment to distribute government cheques, which are a fundamental part of the social safety net. As a result, pensioners and those with low incomes do not suffer if the union is locked out or forced to go on strike.

Despite the helicopters and the scabs, Canada Post can’t deliver the goods.

The corporation is fast losing all public sympathy and needs to prove that it can provide a postal service.

They stake everything on getting the cheques into the hands of the nation’s old age pensioners.

The seniors arrive at special distribution centres and find chaos.

Man interviewed:

“Who in the hell would ever told me at my age, 74 years old, that I was going to be sittin’, standing in line for my own pension cheque. Kind of damn law we got around here?”

They wait for hours, in temperatures that soar to 35 degrees Celsius.

Worst of all, they’re not even sure that their cheques will be there.

Man interviewed (André Dupré):

“To see seniors that I know, standing in line for so long, sure is a sad sight. They’ve been waiting for hours for cheques they might not even get. Because not everyone gets their cheque since not all the cheques have arrived at the distribution centre.”

Lady interviewed:

“They said they were there, but not before noon. They’re not gonna get the cheques till noon.”

With lengthy delays or no cheques at all, Canada Post distribution centres are a disaster.

CP employee interviewed:

“We offered to deliver these cheques for nothing. We offered, we told Canada Post we would come in, sort the cheques, and deliver them for nothing, for no pay, and they said ‘No’, and they made these people, waiting, in this line up and that’s not right.”

With his game plan in shambles, Dunstin tries to shift the blame.

Dunstin:

“You have 20 buses with cheques in them, that your picketers are holding hostage.

Parrot:

“I have told you we are willing to deliver those cheques, and we will deliver them.”

Dunstin:

“Remove the picket lines.

Parrot:

“…on behalf of the pensioners, you didn’t care about them the way you act…”

Man interviewed (John Clark – Ont. Coalition Against Poverty)

“I think quite simply, they’re interested in servicing only their corporate customers and they want to use poor people and working people as a bargaining chip. They want that hardship so that they can point to it and point to the evil of postal workers. It’s not the reality.”

A defeated and discredited Canada Post turns to the Union.

CP employee interviewed:

“This is the way it’s done, not the way the scabs do it. We’ll get it to the right addresses at the right time.”

Canada Post’s tactics have failed.