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Ottawa - "Canada Post's profits must be re-invested to improve postal services across the country," declared Dale Clark, President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, in response to Canada Post's announcement of $84 million in profits. "This money should be put back into the post office so that every Canadian - whether in downtown Toronto, small town Saskatchewan or the far North - gets the quality of service we all deserve."

This morning, Canada Post announced their sixth consecutive profitable year, recording their highest income ever before tax. Over five years, Canada Post has paid out over $260 million to the federal government in dividends. This year, the government will be paid $19 million, an increase of $7 million over last year.

Canada Post would also do well to improve the wages and working conditions of the over 65,000 men and women who work for the corporation. According to the latest government figures, only long shore workers were disabled more often than postal workers on the job. "Canada Post has no business handing out dividends to the government when over 3,300 postal workers were injured on the job last year," Clark pointed out. "With injury rates this high, it's clear this money needs to be directed to improving Canada Post's safety record.

Finally, Canada Post should clean up its act and start treating its rural and suburban mail couriers equitably. "Mail couriers who work on rural routes and in suburban areas are paid far less than their urban counterparts and they have no benefits whatsoever," said Clark.

Six thousand rural route and suburban mail couriers work for Canada Post. A clause in the Canada Post Act, designed to reduce costs when the corporation was losing money, prevents them from bargaining collectively. "The corporation needs to expand services in all parts of Canada and ensure that all of its employees have fair wages and safe working conditions," Clark concluded.

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**Note: CUPW analysis and highlights of the Canada Post annual report will follow shortly.