Recently, Canada Post has created a new webpage dedicated to health and safety and the modern post. This webpage is designed to show employees that Canada Post takes health and safety seriously when it comes to new technology and new work methods.

The Union asked Canada Post management about the claims they made on this website. With the responses we received (below), draw your own conclusions of whether Canada Post is taking health and safety seriously.

On new letter carrier work methods, Canada Post states that; “Having consulted research, sought published reports and having had extensive dialogue with other postal administrations, Canada Post has found no evidence of adverse health and safety effects from increase outside delivery time.”

The Union asked for the research that they had consulted. We asked for the reports that they sought. We asked for health and safety studies.

Canada Post stated that there is no research, there are no reports and there are no health and safety studies. 

The Union stated that in our dialogue with other postal unions we received a third party report stating that there were increased injuries.

Canada Post responded that they disagreed with the findings.

The Union asked for the documentation that demonstrates the new work method for letter carriers has no adverse health and safety effects.

Canada Post responded that they concluded the proposed work method was safe because they found nothing that said it wasn’t safe.

On April 9^th, the Union submitted a letter to Canada Post outlining our health and safety concerns. We requested that studies be conducted.

On June 23^rd, we finally received a response. Canada Post refuses to agree to conduct studies. They maintain that while “there will be increased outside time and increased walking for letter carriers” the work will be safe. CPC makes this claim, despite the fact that no other postal administration has the same work method with the same amount of householders. Further, CPC states “we also expect an overall decrease in the number of delivery personnel exposed to various hazards.”  In other words, there will fewer carriers being injured because there will be fewer letter carriers overall. How does this translate into the work being safe?