Police barricades protect secret plans

A crown corporation which insists that it is totally transparent and has no strategic planning documents sure goes to great measures to protect nothing

• CUPW members and supporters who demonstrated at the Canada Post headquarters on June 19, 2006 in Ottawa were met with an abundance of security cameras, police barricades, police officers on rooftops, Corporate and private security personnel at all entrances. Garbage containers, ashtrays and other potential “projectiles” had all been removed, in anticipation of our nonviolent direct action.

• Directives concerning a “clean desk policy” were reissued, reminding all personnel inside to “secure sensitive material” and to lock them up in desks and cabinets. Sensitive material included “non-public business plans and marketing information”. How can people lock up plans which are supposedly non-existent?

• A corporation which prioritizes “employee engagement” did not permit its employees and managerial personnel to leave the building during the demonstration, for fear that some supporters could join the CUPW demonstration, or worse yet, provide us with information and documents. Smokers and people who had personal appointments were advised that if they left the building, they would not be allowed to re-enter.

Basically, Canada Post headquarters was locked up tight on June 19. Our action was a huge success and received lots of media attention. It increased public awareness of the threats to our public postal service. We sent a strong message that the public, the real owners of Canada Post, have the right to know and the right to have a say in any changes to their public postal service.

17 arrests

Seventeen (17) of us were arrested for trespassing by the local police during the Direct Action phase of the demonstration (see future bulletin for a list of participants). We were attempting to enter Canada Post to search for the documents, despite the police barricades. Each person who took part in this action was aware of the risks and was willing to accept them. Each person is responsible to pay a $50 fine, plus $15 administration fees.

On behalf of the National Executive Board, I would like to thank our members and allies who took part in the demonstration in Ottawa, all the Direct Action participants, and all of our members across the country who demonstrated and sent solidarity messages.

We will continue our fight to maintain a vibrant, public postal service, one which includes quality service to every community, including Québec City and eastern Québec.

And we will ensure that there is a public debate about the future of that service.