Leadership for the Owen Sound chapter of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers say their members would rather be working than on the picket line.
Unionized postal workers have been engaged in a nationwide strike for nearly two weeks since the federal government on Sept. 25 announced major changes to Canada Post, including phasing out home delivery over the next decade and lifting a longstanding moratorium on closing rural post offices.
CUPW Local 582 Vice President Thomas Arakal says none of the striking postal workers want to be on the picket lines, but they need send a strong message to Canada Post and the federal government they will fight for a fair deal and a strong, publicly owned future for the postal service.
“Don’t take out the jobs of middle class people. Don’t close the rural post offices,” says Arakal in an interview while picketing in Owen Sound. “I deliver mail in Kemble. There is only one post office … I don’t know who is going to benefit by closing (post offices).”
Arakal says CUPW members want Canada Post to be running successfully, but insists the government’s approach to finding cost savings isn’t the right one. He says the government should look into finding savings from the corporation’s upper management structure, rather than making changes to home mail delivery and closing rural post offices.
“Let’s have a look at the CEO, the vice presidents, the general managers,” Arakal says. “Why do we need to have so many big bosses sitting there and making so much money? And why are they not being held accountable?”
“We want to keep rural post offices and affordable post offices for everybody,” he continues. “As well as good jobs for the coming generations.”
The Federal Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement Joël Lightbound pointed to the decline of lettermail and more than $5-billion in Canada Post cumulative losses since 2018, when announcing last month several operational reforms intended to deliver cost savings.
“This situation is unsustainable. Canada Post is effectively insolvent, and repeated bailouts are not a long-term solution,” Lightbound says in a Sept. 25 release. “Transformation is required to ensure the survival of Canada Post and protect the services Canadians rely on.”
The changes proposed for Canada Post include lowering the letter mail delivery standard, phasing out door-to-door delivery in favour of community mailboxes and lifting a moratorium on rural post office closures.
Arakal adds postal workers are also fighting for fair wages that keep up with inflation. The union is seeking a 19 per cent increase over four years. Canada Post says its most recent offer to CUPW removed a signing bonus which was on the table in May, but includes a 13.59 per cent wage hike over four years.