Many voters are justifiably distrustful about politicians today and feel that it doesn't matter who they vote for, which political party their candidate belongs to, or even if they vote at all.
But it does matter. The results of this election will determine what kind of social programs and public services we enjoy, how easy or hard it is for us to form unions, whether we have access to public healthcare and pharmacare, whether the environment is protected and whether we can marry our same sex partner. It will determine our freedom and our human rights and our access to affordable, quality public childcare. It could even lead us into another debate over whether women have the right to choose abortion.

And for CUPW members who work at the post office, the results of this federal election will determine our future.

Universal Public Postal Service Is At Stake

The new Canada Post president has a history of privatization, deregulation and cutbacks. Her focus at Canada Post is on the financial bottom line. She wants to close the Quebec City post office and has announced a review of the national postal network, which includes plants. About 50 rural post offices and a number of urban offices have already been closed.
On January 23rd, we need to vote for candidates who support public postal service. We need to support people who oppose privatization, deregulation and the destruction of vital public services like our post office.

Where Do The Parties Stand?

As far as the Liberals go, the Minister Responsible for Canada Post told us, only after the election was called: "The Government of Canada is not currently considering the privatization or deregulation of Canada Post Corporation." This statement was followed by a vague but cautionary statement about the need to address the impact of "global realities" such as "globalization, increased competition and changes in the communications market and lessened demand for traditional postal services, as seen in other countries". The Minister defends Canada Post's decision to close the Quebec City post office, even in the face of over 130,000 signatures on petitions opposing the closure.

The Conservative party says a Conservative government would review Canada Post's decision to close the Quebec City post office. But who knows what that review would look like. From 1986 to 1993, the Progressive Conservatives (a predecessor of the party) closed down 93 urban and 1,442 rural offices and outlets. CUPW is also concerned by the party's industrial development policy that says: "A Conservative Government will privatize crown corporations that compete directly with comparable services from existing private sector institutions." Canada Post competes directly with private courier companies.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) is opposed to public-private partnerships as well as the privatization of public services. It strongly opposes the privatization and deregulation of Canada Post. The NDP opposes the closure of the Quebec City post office and is part of the broad-based coalition supporting CUPW's efforts to keep the plant open.

The Bloc Québécois (Bloc) says: "The post office is a public service, and it is the government's role to ensure universal access to public services." The Bloc Quebecois opposes the closure of Quebec City post office and has played a key role in the political campaign to keep the plant open.

N.E.B. Recommendation

The CUPW National Executive Board (NEB) has looked at the positions of the various political parties on postal and other issues and we are recommending that members vote for the New Democratic Party in Canada and the Bloc Québécois in Quebec.

It is unusual for the NEB to make this kind of recommendation. CUPW's traditional approach to elections has been to provide members with information on where the parties stand on a variety of issues that are important to post office workers in particular and the public in general. We hoped that members would seriously consider these issues and vote for those who would defend things like workers rights, strong public services, the environment and human rights.

In this particular election, we believe it is important to take a stand. We believe that a minority government is best for working people in Canada and Quebec and that the NDP and the Bloc are the parties most likely to support a working people's agenda.

Steven Harper's Conservatives clearly have a right-wing, anti-worker agenda. And you can dress Paul Martin up in as many CAW jackets as you like and it will not make him a friend of workers. There needs to be strong opposition from the NDP and the Bloc in the House of Commons on January 24, 2006, to fight for progressive legislation.

In the end, CUPW members will make up their own minds about how to vote. But we hope you will consider our recommendation and rest assured that it is not uncritical or unqualified support for the Bloc and the NDP.

After The Election

Whatever the results, what really matters is what happens after the votes are counted. Marking an X on a ballot isn't enough. What matters is how strong labour and social movements are on the ground. What really matters is our ability to compel governments and all political parties to support workers' rights, human rights and strong public services and social programs.