A CUPW delegation has just returned from studying the American experience with mechanized sequencing of letter mail.

With mechanized sequencing, letter mail is sorted into line of delivery by machines at the plant.  This system has been in place in the United States (USA) for about 15 years.

Canada Post (CPC) plans to introduce mechanized sequencing as part of its Modern Post (or Postal Transformation) initiative.

The national CUPW representatives met with representatives from the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), the American union of letter carriers.

The delegation met with our counterparts at the national level in Washington, D.C. and at the local level in Fairfax, Virginia and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Out on the Route with American Letter Carriers

CUPW representatives visited letter carrier depots in Fairfax, Virginia (a suburb of Washington) and in Minneapolis and went out on the route with letter carriers in both locations.  We were able to talk with these American letter carriers about their experience with mechanized sequencing of letter mail, which they call Delivery Point Sequencing (DPS). 

We were also able to observe how the letter carriers do their work inside as well as outside

Work Methods Similar

The new “Modern Post” work methods that CPC proposes for delivery of mail are similar to the way some American letter carriers deliver their mail.

Observation of the American letter carriers will help CUPW to better analyze CPC’s proposed work methods and time values for mail delivery, and to understand their health and safety impact.

But Also Some Differences

However, there are some differences in how Canadian and American letter carriers work:

• The outside portion of American letter carrier routes are set up by using an average of how long the route holder normally takes to do the route.
• Letter carriers cannot go home early unless it is a very light day and there is no work left to do in the depot.
• American letter carriers are often required to help other letter carriers in the depot finish their routes if they have time within their 8 hours to do so.
• American letter carriers work at a more reasonable pace than Canadian carriers, and do not rush to finish their routes early.
• American letter carriers have very few householders to deliver, but get time in their work day to deliver whatever householders they do have. Householders are often nestled inside one another.

Problems When DPS was Implemented

The CUPW delegation heard that when DPS was implemented in the United States, there were serious problems.  Management from the United States Postal Service (USPS) estimated that about 70% of the letters would be sequenced accurately by machine.  This did not happen.  In some cases, the actual percentage was as low as 30% at the start.

Currently more than 90% of all letter mail is sequenced.

USPS is now beginning to introduce mechanized sequencing of flats.  Canada Post says that they have no plans to implement flat sequencing.  CPC says that the machines take up too much space, and that Canadian volumes of flats are much smaller than in the USA.

The visit to the USA was very useful for CUPW.  It helped us better understand the impact of DPS in the USA and the potential problems with Canada Post’s proposed Modern Post work methods.

This sharing between sister unions facing similar problems is a clear demonstration of the benefits Canadian Postal workers gain through international solidarity.