It only took Canada Post 17 days to slash 166 regular jobs in the Pacific, the Atlantic and Southwestern Ontario following the March 2010 notification that the corporation “intended to review the national network with a view of optimizing operations”

CUPW believes that Canada Post has been planning these cuts long before the obligatory March notification to the union. CUPW believes that Canada Post is planning more cuts. CUPW believes that Canada Post has not been forthright with the union, the workers or the public with respect to ALL of their future plans.

What One Hand Gives – The Other Takes Away

The devastating news was received April 8, 2010, only a few days after Canada Post’s Board of Directors approved payment of the Corporate Team Incentive for 2009. The news also comes in the wake of announcements of the contracting out of call centres, ongoing Modern Post job losses and process consolidation job losses.

Does Canada Post think that paying bonuses to workers makes the job cuts more palatable?

Fast Tracked Job Losses

According to the notice provided under article 29 of the urban collective agreement starting August 2010, CPC intends to phase in the transfer of mail processing from Victoria to Vancouver, Kitchener to Toronto and Moncton to Saint John. Additionally the city final sort for Guelph and Cambridge will move to Kitchener.

The Phases will be fast, furious and devastating to workers in our mail processing plants. Victoria will see a reduction of 44% (136 workers to 76) while Kitchener will see a 47% reduction (162 workers to 76). The use of Temporary workers in the Victoria, Kitchener and Moncton plants will be dramatically reduced.

While CPC has stated in a separate notice that “there will be no impact on RSMCs”, the union expects CPC to attack RSMC positions as well.

CUPW Is Fighting Back

Representatives of the national union met immediately to discuss and analyze the impact of these proposed changes and develop our strategy going forward. The union will hold CPC accountable, enforce the collective agreement and review all other options.

Members should keep informed and be prepared to take action. Our jobs and service to the public are worth fighting for!