Capilano Delivery Centre recently received support from these retirees with the following letter:
Antonio Chiavattari Frances Crossley Lois Perry
Barbara Gove Frank Bonvie Naomi Allen
David Flavelle James Wilson Rene Parrison
BJ Perry Janine Timmons Richard Hanes
Bruce McRay Karmel Maxwell Rob Sawyer
Darrell Ainscough Kathy Vishnikov Susan Giardin
Anyone wanting to run a similar volunteer project, please contact [email protected]
We, the following retired CUPW postal workers, support all current CUPW postal workers in their struggle to maintain their livelihoods, working conditions, and benefits. We have been there. We have spent our career in service to Canadians. We understand the hard work, and we understand how valued we are by our customers. Those of us who worked inside mail processing facilities dedicated our careers to ensuring important items were directed, with care, to their destinations. Those of us who worked in transportation made sure that those goods flowed around the country. Those of us who worked as mechanics and in tech services made sure an incredible amount of machinery and vehicles kept moving. Whether in the urban or rural operations, those of us who were letter carriers and mail service couriers saw our customers at their homes, businesses, and organizations every day, forming a bond with Canadians at their doorsteps from coast to coast to coast. We know the role that postal workers play in this country. We are used to stepping up in times of need. So many workers carried the country through the pandemic. So many of us know the feeling of continuing to serve with pride through difficult times. We have always had the ability to work together and provide vital, secure support to Canadians.
A strong public post office matter. Private enterprise is profit motivated. As it is, we have seen fair working conditions trampled by the corporation in the pursuit of profit. Over the decades, postal workers have fought long and hard to obtain and improve working conditions and wages. Many of us have suffered common and sometimes life altering injuries that could have been prevented with tenable working conditions. New work systems and staffing practices are causing a health and safety crisis, as well as diminishing the standard of service for Canadians. A post office motivated purely by profit above all else is unacceptable for Canadians and unsustainable for workers.
We are concerned that new CUPW workers could be excluded from a reliable pension system. Any kind of non-secure pension income plan is precarious. Implementation of a defined contribution (not defined benefit) pension plan, for new hires, would not only give those workers less security at retirement, but could weaken the pension security of already retired workers.
While we have concerns about steps backward in working conditions, benefits, and wages, we do see great possibilities in steps forward into expansion of services. We know the value of the network and structure that exists. Why waste it? Financial services, elder check-ins and other diverse services have been implemented in other countries and are not only possible but also highly profitable and successful. Those countries have adopted new ways for the post office to grow. As retirees, we have dedicated our lives to the post office, and we know from our combined experience that cuts are not the answer, and will only make existing problems worse.
We retirees post our names as a message of support to current Canada Post workers, and also as a message to you, our members of parliament, that Canada Post is a cherished Canadian institution. We want service expanded and improved. We want to see Canada Post succeed, and we do not want future successes to come at the expense of front-line postal workers.
Solidarity from retirees
