Have your say on the future of the post office. CUPW is asking members, locals and the public to make short YouTube videos answering the question: “What does your post office mean to you?”. This is part of the union’s organizing around the strategic review of Canada Post.

The government’s review will look at basic questions that will affect the future of our public post office. Make a video and tell the government and the strategic review, “Hands off our post office!”

What kind of video?

It would be great if we had a consistent format for our YouTube videos so we’re asking everyone to:

• Hold a big letter addressed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper c/o Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review;
• Begin by saying – “Dear Post Office Review”;
• Tell the review panel what postal service means to you – see What to say below;
• Finish with “Sincerely, (name, city, province).

How long should my video be?

YouTube videos can be anywhere from a few seconds long to 10 minutes long. Choose the length that gives you time to say your piece. But remember that many viewers have short attention spans.

What do I need to do to put a video on YouTube?

You can use a mobile phone or digital camera with movie recording capability, a web camera attached to your computer or a movie camera to make your videos. If you have access to editing software, even better!
 
You will need to create your own account with YouTube for uploading. There are special instructions you need to follow depending upon the method you will be using to submit your video (phone upload, upload from your computer, etc.). YouTube has good help sections on each method -

http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/

If you would like your video to be considered for our YouTube Strategic Review section, please send an email to: video@cupw-sttp.org and include the exact URL to your video. Use the phrase “Strategic Review Video” in your subject line. Your email address must match the one used for your YouTube account.

We do not promise to post all video submissions to our section and obviously anything that goes against our constitution, policies or principles will not be considered.

Please do not use any music, footage or images in your video that are copyrighted – unless you have written permission from the copyright owners. If that is the case, please provide us with a copy of the permission statement.

Please see the bulletin: YouTube Videos: Dear Post Office Review for more information.

 
What to say?

Here are some ideas about what you could say in your video. Feel free to create your own script or use parts of the one below. Above all, use your creativity.

Dear Post Office Review:

I know you’re reviewing Canada Post right now so I wanted to let you know what my post office means to me.

I dearly love my post office. I love that I can mail a letter across the country for only 52 cents. I love receiving birthday cards delivered right to my front door.

I love seeing the big red mailboxes as I walk down city streets. I live in the country and I love having a rural mailbox.

I believe my post office should remain a monopoly. I’m worried that deregulating my post office would cut service and raise prices for mailing letters. I’m worried that we don’t have enough long term evidence about the effects of deregulating post offices. Please don’t deregulate my post office!

I think universal postal service is great! I like that I can move anywhere from coast to coast to coast and still receive my mail – and all for 52 cents a letter. It’s an incredible feat in a country with the second largest land mass. There is postal service across all 9,330,970 sq km of this country. I’m mighty proud of that.

I live in a tiny isolated community. If I said the name, I’d wager you wouldn’t recognize it. I rely on my mail in ways you couldn’t even imagine. My new clothing arrives by mail. I order it from a catalogue. I’ve even been known to send off my laundry by mail to have it delivered back clean. Postal service takes on a new importance when you live where I live.

I want a green post office. I want a post office that reduces its environmental footprint. I want Canada Post to stop looking at hybrid vehicles and start using them. I want Canada Post to encourage the public to use certified 100% recycled paper and an environmentally sound printing process for advertisements and envelopes. And I want Canada Post to build green, safe and healthy buildings.

I’ve worked at the post office for 17 years. I think it’s great that I can earn a good living wage and receive quality benefits while delivering an important public service. I think it’s so important that the post office continues to provide good jobs and lots of them.

I think Canada Post should expand door-to-door mail delivery. Almost everyone likes to walk outside their front door or to the road and collect their mail. I have a disability and having my mail delivered to my front door is so important. I’m getting on in years and having door-to-door mail delivery means I can keep in touch with my friends and family.

Thanks for listening to me.

Sincerely,

Name, City, Province

We will let you know when the videos start coming in so you can watch members and others at their most creative.