CUPW opposing Canada Post review

Residents of towns like Orangeville could wind up losers if a government review of Canada Post operations leads to some of its services being outsourced, a local union spokesman has warned.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, (CUPW), is launching a campaign to alert the public to the review, fearing the public is not being properly informed or given an adequate chance to participate in it.

Called the Canada Post Corporation Strategic Review, the review's advisory panel consists of three part-time participants. Public individuals and/or organizations have been given until Sept. 2 to offer their opinions and suggestions.

"The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister responsible for the Canada Post Corporation has asked us to conduct a strategic review of the corporation," the panel says on the Canada Post website.

"We are asked to make recommendations to the Minister focusing on market and competition; public policy objectives and responsibilities; commercial activities and; financial and performance targets."

CUPW is concerned that the review may be little more than an avenue to orchestrate wholesale changes to Canada Post, including outsourcing some of its more lucrative operations.

"If Canada Post was to lose its exclusivity over first-class mail, it's possible that (private companies) would take the cream, like the Highway 401 corridor from Montreal to Windsor, and leave Canada Post to service the rest of the country," said Dave Nicholas, president of CUPW local 577 in Orangeville.

"A place like Orangeville might end up having to pay a premium to have its mail delivered."

On its website, Canada Post maintains it will not be privatized and will remain a Crown corporation, regardless of the strategic review's results, and says it "must maintain a universal, effective and economically viable postal service."

It also puts forward a request for public participation. "We invite you to take part in our consultation process and prepare written submissions for our review."

In the meantime, the corporation has done relatively little to publicize the review.

While most government and crown corporate entities may schedule public forums - or, at least, advertise in local media outlets - the federal government's efforts to secure public input have been scarce.

In a memo to town council, CUPW said it is concerned that the government is not holding public hearings as part of its review.

The union would like the deadline for public submissions extended from Sept. 2 to Nov. 30, feeling many Canadians are unaware of the review, let alone have time to prepare a submission.

Mr. Nicholas says the union is confused as to which federal department will actually act on the recommendations of the review's panel. CUPW is also unsure if it will be able to receive any recommendations brought forth and have adequate time to respond.

There is also a possibility that strategic review may be, in the public's mind, mixed up with Canada Post's more publicized safety review of its rural residential mail boxes.

Canada Post has been conducting a safety review of its delivery to some 843,000 rural customers, but it is separate from the strategic review.

The rural safety review, the corporation says, is being conducted on a residence by-residence basis, and could be completed within three years. The public has been notified of its procedures through the media.