Montréal, March 18, 2008 – For several months, the Table de concertation communautaire Action-Gardien action group has been fighting to prevent the closure of this post office, which is slated for March 28^th.  In every interview with the media, it has stated that this closure is only the first in a series of coming closures and that Canada Post has thrown its public-service mandate out the window. “We were right and today, we’re giving you proof,” said Karine Triollet, Action-Gardien spokesperson.

In fact, in a recent Canada Post job posting (a copy of which is in your press kit), we couldn’t help but notice the following duties, namely:

• “[translation] Manage the closure or conversion of post offices into franchises, in rural and urban areas, with a view to reaching cost-cutting objectives;
• Manage the rural service restructuring program to reach cost-cutting and restructuring objectives, by converting or consolidating revenue and semi-urban  post offices;
• Manage the restructuring of corporate postal stations and urban post offices as well as private sector retail outlets, to achieve cost-cutting objectives;
• Meet with mayors, reeves, boards of trade and chambers of commerce to explain changes to the postal network;
• Prepare correspondence for members of Parliament, municipal administrators and customers;
• Lead town hall meetings in the affected communities;
• Prepare plans for communicating changes to the network.”

“This proves that we were correct in launching a national campaign to call for support. Canada Post has reneged on its public-service mandate,” says Karine Triollet. This confirms more than ever the need for Conservative MPs to get involved and order Canada Post’s management to suspend the closure of our post office.  We’re only ten days from the closure, she adds, so it’s now barely a few minutes before midnight.”

For Denis Lemelin, 2^nd National Vice-President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), “Just because the CEO of Canada Post announces a plan to modernize the post office doesn’t mean it is one.  In this case, it’s a plan to close and streamline post offices, part of a new wave that will swamp Canada and Quebec at the expense of the public.  Pointe-Saint-Charles’ struggle is one that involves every citizen in this country.”

According to André Frappier, a member of the FTQ’s Metro-Montreal Regional Council, the Federal Government is under major pressure from the private sector to deregulate and even privatize the post office. “Letting the private sector in will lead to cuts in service and open the door to rate increases, he stated. A public postal service is the only way to ensure standard postal rates and an affordable, universal service.”

Thierry St-Cyr, Federal MP for the riding of Jeanne-Le Ber, says that in his view, “There’s something wrong when we aren’t able to make Canada Post management listen to reason.  There’s just one thing we need to understand.  The Conservatives agree with Canada Post CEO Moya Greene. But whose interests is this government serving? Those of the public, who are entitled to quality postal service, or Moya Greene’s, whose only aim is to close post offices across the nation?”

In a democracy, people have the last word. So, at the end of this press conference, we’ll leave the conclusion to Manon Leclerc, an ordinary citizen. She sees the fight to prevent the closure of the only post office in our neighbourhood as plain common sense. “A public service needs to be accessible. But the new location is not accessible by bus or on foot. I want to tell Conservative MPs that we aren’t going to back down and stop fighting for our right to public postal service.”

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