Canada Post changes disappoint union
The union representing postal workers is disappointed about Canada Post's plans to phase out home mail delivery over the next five years and eliminate 8,000 positions.
But Jeff Callaghan, the Atlantic region national director for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), remains optimistic some of the changes can be reversed with another mandate review slated for 2014.
The changes are not what Canadians wanted, he said. In a survey earlier this year, people said they wanted services maintained — or expanded, said Callaghan.
He contends the federal government is calling the shots, citing recent back to work legislation as an example.
"This is a Crown corporation. It's supposed to be at arm's length. But we're seeing them at every turn take their direction from the federal government," Callaghan told CBC Information Morning Fredericton.
"Canadians have repeatedly told this corporation, this Crown corporation, what they want out of their services, but they're not going in that direction," he said.
"Nobody's being held accountable. In fact, we have a CEO now that's being paid quite handsomely, somewhere around $600,000 a year. He's not being called to task for, I guess, driving the corporation into the ground."
Meanwhile, New Brunswickers who still have home delivery seem to have mixed feelings about the changes.
"I'm sorry to hear it," said Rita Flanagan, of the Fredericton area. "But really, we get so little mail today that it wouldn't be a hardship to go to a mailbox to pick it up," she said. "And Canada Post is losing a tonne of money every year,"
Anne Singh, also of the Fredericton area, agrees.
"With two little kids in tow it will be one more thing to add to the day, as opposed to just going to the door and picking up the mail. So, it's the reality," she said.
