Editor, The Times:
Rural post offices are once again under threat.
The Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA), is the bargaining agent that represents over 7,800 permanent employees and 2,400 temporary employees of Canada Post Corporation. Our bargaining unit consists of 95 per cent women who work in rural post offices, communities where meaningful employment opportunities are few.
Canada Post is making drastic cuts to our rural offices. They are cutting hours of service to communities by closing over lunch hours, opening later and closing earlier, and discontinuing Saturday service. Often our members work short-staffed. Canada Post claims these cuts are necessary due to the dire financial state they are in. The fact, though, is that for the past 18 years Canada Post has recorded a profit in every year but one — 2011. In 2012 they recorded a profit of $98 million.
Canada Post is mandated to provide universal service to all to Canadians regardless of where they live. Rural Canadians value their post office as an important means of staying connected with the rest of the country. Post offices contribute to Canada's social cohesion as well as often being the only federal presence in their town and sometimes for several miles around it.
CPAA believes that maintaining universal postal service across Canada is essential to the survival of rural communities and that Canada Post Corporation has a public policy obligation to serve every Canadian address, including those in rural areas.
We know that rural Canadians rely on their postal service. Should rural Canadians be expected to tolerate a reduced level of postal service? Canada Post is making drastic cuts to rural post offices across the country and rural post offices should be the last place that Canada Post looks to reduce their costs.
What can you do? Please contact your MP; your MLA; the federal Minister Responsible for Canada Post, Lisa Raitt and Canada Post Corporation at 1-800-267-1177 and insist that they stop the steady erosion of our Canadian Postal Service.
Carolyn Elliott, vice president
CPAA BC & Yukon Branch