Proposed changes to Canada Post likely won’t affect North: Union
Federal government wants to streamline work and cut costs at Canada Post’s operations
Changes proposed for Canada Post operations by the federal government likely won’t affect the North, says a union leader representing some Canada Post workers. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
The federal government’s proposed changes to Canada Post operations likely will not have much of an impact on Nunavut’s post offices, says a union leader who represents some of the Crown corporation’s workers.
On Sept. 25, Ottawa gave Canada Post 45 days to come up with a cost-saving plan that would include converting four million addresses to community mailboxes; ending the moratorium on rural post office closures; re-prioritizing more mail for ground delivery; and increasing flexibility around stamp rate increases.
The situation in Nunavut is very different than the south, said Xan Moffatt-Toews, president of the Alberta, N.W.T. and Nunavut branch of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association.
Nunavut does not have home mailboxes and its geography means the territory is not likely to lose any post offices, she said.
“They could never close,” Moffatt-Toews said of hamlet post offices. “Everybody relies on [the mail] to live.”
All Nunavut communities except Iqaluit have one post office per hamlet, which otherwise are only accessible by plane.
Since 2018, Canada Post has accumulated more than $5 billion in losses, said Joël Lightbound, federal minister of government transformation, public works and procurement, in a statement Sept. 25.
“Canada Post is a vital national institution worth preserving. The measures announced today will help place the corporation on a stronger financial footing and provide the flexibility it needs to adapt to a rapidly changing environment,” he said.
Reducing Canada Post’s workforce is one of the ways it is looking to save money. So far, it has been focused on reducing employees by not replacing those who leave, but in its most recent round of negotiations with its southern urban employees Canada Post proposed ending the mail carriers’ “job security for life” provision.
Job security for life effectively means an employee cannot be laid off.
Moffatt-Toews would not say whether Canada Post’s plan to end the “job security for life” provision could be proposed for Nunavut’s post office employees as well.
Thus far, she said, her team had not been approached by the employer regarding the change, adding there likely won’t be any job losses in Nunavut anyway because communities are very dependent on Canada Post service.
Iqaluit, for example, is fairly well staffed, she said.
Direct questions to Canada Post regarding the federal government’s proposed changes went unanswered.
Imagine the idea of a job security for life component in a modern employment contract. it’s almost funny to think about it. These boomers really had their cake and ate it too.
Good thing they wont affect the north. We are the last remaining place where you can get housing, a high paid job, a ton of paid time off, and have zero competence or skills related of the job youre supposed to do. Eating cake is a full time job in the north.
Go work in -50 outside doing service and maintenance, piece of cake you say
Talking about the unskilled so-called “office workers” . Tradesmen in nunavut are tough as nails.
People in general are completely clueless as to how challenging this career is. It definitely deserves to be better paid and have a fair structure as it’s all been neglected over the years. I am not cupw im a CPAA employee. If we were allowed to strike I would proudly stand with my fellow colleagues!