By Mike Palecek
Postal worker and National Union Representative of CUPW
If postal workers ran the post office.
If postal workers ran the post office, we would start by getting rid of thousands of people in management. The cadre of class-warriors Canada Post has employed to fight CUPW would get pink slips.
If postal workers ran the post office, the retail network – the largest in the country – would be used to expand services. Banking and financial services could be offered through the post office as they are in most developed countries.
If postal workers ran the post office, Canada Post would develop an online escrow service similar to paypal and become a hub for online business, integrating shipping and sales.
If postal workers ran the post office, we wouldn’t plant group mailboxes on peoples’ front lawns.
If postal workers ran the post office, it wouldn’t have 22 Vice Presidents and a CEO that makes more than the Prime Minister.
If postal workers ran the post office, we could offer a daily check-in service for seniors living alone, instead of forcing them onto a daily trudge to the Community Mail Box (CMB).
If postal workers ran the post office, we could restore and expand the Food Mail program to deliver nutritious food to Northern communities.
If postal workers ran the post office, Canada Post could become a national wireless carrier to rival the private companies that are gouging cell phone customers.
If postal workers ran the post office, we would invest profits to expand service.
If postal workers ran the post office, the primary concern would be the health, safety and wellness of postal workers and their communities.
That’s a great vision.
Workers in control.
That should be the case in every workplace.
Looks a little like “socialism”, doesn’t it?.
In response to this post by Mike Palecek ……I’ve replied below….
If postal workers ran the post office.
If postal workers ran the post office, we would start by getting rid of thousands of people in management. The cadre of class-warriors Canada Post has employed to fight CUPW would get pink slips.
If postal workers ran the post office, Canada Post would develop an online escrow service similar to paypal and become a hub for online business, integrating shipping and sales.
If postal workers ran the post office, we wouldn’t plant group mailboxes on peoples’ front lawns.
If postal workers ran the post office, it wouldn’t have 22 Vice Presidents and a CEO that makes more than the Prime Minister.
If postal workers ran the post office, we could offer a daily check-in service for seniors living alone, instead of forcing them onto a daily trudge to the CMB.
If postal workers ran the post office, we could restore and expand the Food Mail program to deliver nutritious food to Northern communities.
If postal workers ran the post office, Canada Post could become a national wireless carrier to rival the private companies that are gouging cell phone customers.
If postal workers ran the post office, we would invest profits to expand service.
If postal workers ran the post office, the primary concern would be the health, safety and wellness of postal workers and their communities.
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I respectfully disagree Mike, although we may agree on most points there are fundamental differences in what Canada Post is and is not. We are and always have been a public service not a profit driven business.
The Canadian public and taxpayers are the owners of Canada Post and as such are in essence yours, mine as well as all CUPW and other union and non union workers, not to mention Deepak’s and all of managements employers.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would start by getting rid of thousands of people in management. There would be a set amount of management positions. We would want a negotiated ratio of worker to management positions. This would eliminate the decrease of workers who move the mail and create all the profits as opposed to the increase in management position who are draining the profits of Canada Post. This trend would see an increase in service and make this public service more sustainable.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, the retail network – the largest in the country would be used to expand services. Banking and financial services could be offered through the post office as they are in most developed countries. This added service would fulfill our mandate of providing service to our customers and make this public service more sustainable.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would develop an online escrow service similar to paypal and become a hub for online business, integrating shipping and sales. This added service would fulfill our mandate of providing service to our customers and make this public service more sustainable.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post wouldn’t plant group mailboxes on peoples’ front lawns. They would want Canada Post to give all customers in the country equal service. This means good service, not to give inferior service to all, door to door delivery at least 5 days a week to every household in Canada. This would get them back in the service of delivering mail and parcels rather than purchasing costly inefficient and unsightly community mail boxes not to mention the high maintenance costs that the public clearly doesn’t want.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would not be downloading cost of postage, maintenance of community mail box sites and policing onto municipalities. The Canadian public knows all too well there is only one taxpayer so downloading costs to another level of government doesn’t change who pays the bills in the end.
If the Canadian Public ran the post office, it wouldn’t have 22 Vice Presidents and a CEO that makes more than the Prime Minister. What public service has a CEO or vice presidents? The Canadian public already has a minister responsible for Canada Post. They would see the vast amount of these positions as irrelevant and unnecessary.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post could offer a daily check-in service for seniors living alone, instead of forcing them onto a daily trudge to the CMB.
If the Canadian Public ran the post office, Canada Post could restore and expand the Food Mail program to deliver nutritious food to Northern communities. Since giving this service to profit driven businesses it has again failed the people (the public) who are suppose to benefit from the program and has increased corporate welfare.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post could become a national wireless carrier to rival the private companies that are gouging cell phone customers. This added service would fulfill our mandate of providing service to our customers and make this public service more sustainable.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would use profitable aspects of our service to offset costs that we are mandated to do that are not profitable but essential within any public service.
If Canadian public ran the post office, the primary concern would be the health, safety and wellness of postal workers and their communities. Not to offload costs of lawsuits, WCB as well putting people on EI and disability pensions back onto the taxpayers.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would recognize that a decent wage to all employees (who are all Canadian taxpayers) and keeping jobs in Canada benefits the Canadian public and its employees and the country as a whole.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would give preferred customer status to the owners (the Canadian public) with the lowest possible rates. The likes of Pitney Bowes and Maclean magazine and others would no longer be subsidized. The Canadian public would put a stop payment on the corporate welfare cheques issued to these and other businesses. True charitable foundations would get either free or reduced rates. This would not include phony self professed independent non-profit organizations like the Fraser Institute.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would not allow members of parliament free postage that is nothing more than giving them free postage to distribute campaign literature.
If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post would recognize that the CUPW and other unions are stakeholders and have meaningful consultation with the unions before making major changes that will adversely affect the service and the members of these unions.
Lastly If the Canadian public ran the post office, Canada Post’s operators would consult the owners of the service before making major changes that will adversely affect the service provided to the customers and owners (the Canadian public). Failure to do this would be an election issue for the governing party as well as immediate dismissal of those making major changes without consulting with the owners.