Canada Post Executives Have Some Explaining to Do

For Immediate Release

OTTAWA- Canada Post’s annual public meeting in Ottawa is billed as an opportunity for Canadians to “speak directly to senior leaders of the company about present and future policies and direction.” This year’s meeting saw some tough questions being posed to Canada Post executives from people opposed to the cutbacks.

“When our money-making post office is trying to impose massive service downgrades on Canadians, you’d expect to hear better reasons for it,” said Mike Palecek, National President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, who attended the meeting. “Instead, we keep hearing the same tired old talking points that just don’t stand up to scrutiny.”

Palecek pointed out that the senior executive of Canada Post, Deepak Chopra, is a Harper appointee and that cuts to postal service are becoming a federal election issue for many angered at losing their home delivery, rural post offices and affordable postage rates.

“To change these cuts, we need to change this government,” said Palecek. “The Harper government is driving the postal train wreck and it needs to stop and get off before more people lose their services.”

The New Democratic Party promised this week to restore home delivery to the million Canadians who lost it in 2014. The union says that would be far cheaper and easier compared to the cost of switching millions more to centralized mailboxes.

Here are the questions the union encouraged members of the public to ask at the meeting: 

• Your financial projections have turned out to be false and you’re making money, not losing it. Will you revisit the cutbacks that were based on those projections?
• Almost 600 municipalities are opposing the cutbacks and some are taking you to court. They say they weren’t properly consulted. Will you stop cutting until you can hold proper public consultations on changes to postal services? 
• None of the profits from 2014 are attributable to the service cuts. Why not place a moratorium on cuts until the public is consulted?
• People have real concerns about safety, property value damage, and accessibility problems. Why aren’t you listening to them?
• You have a bloated senior administration that is getting bonuses. Why didn’t you start your cuts at the top?
• Where is Canada Post’s internal postal banking study? What do you have to hide?

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For more information, please contact Aalya Ahmad, CUPW Communications – aahmad@cupw-sttp.org or 613-327-1177.