Canada Post has a been given a tight deadline to provide an outline on how they will implement new changes ordered by Federal Minister Joel Lightbound.
Ottawa announced the measures on September 25 that include less door-to-door delivery, lifting the moratorium on rural locations and shifting around management in order to save money.
Now, the Crown corporation says in a news release Thursday, they have 45 days to present how these measures will happen.
Canada Post says they are currently working on the plan and will be using the following guidelines:
- Prioritize service: We will provide reliable and affordable delivery for all Canadians while protecting access to vital postal services in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
- Proceed thoughtfully: While there’s a need to move with urgency, we will proceed thoughtfully to get it right and minimize how the changes affect Canadians.
- Treat employees with respect: We will continue to be fair and respectful to our employees and prioritize their safety as we implement changes.
- Keep Canadians informed: We will provide regular updates on our transformation to Canadians, customers, employees and other stakeholders and give them as much notice as possible of any changes affecting them.
- Be flexible: We will adjust our approach based on the revolving needs of Canadians.
The corporation says they will also release a series of videos that will provide more information; the first one will be about the Delivery Accommodation Program, to be found here.
Strikes
Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) walked off the job nationwide in response to the changes but have since returned to begin rotating strikes.
If Canada Post workers go on strike in Nova Scotia, there will not be much notice.
President of Nova Scotia CUPW Dwayne Corner says they will only know a few hours before.
“They want a contract. They want to get this settled, and if that means they have to go on a rotating strike to do it, I believe that they’re willing to do it,” said Corner.
Most of the postal service is up and running, but workers in different areas are taking turns going on strike until they reach an agreement with the company.
Corner says less notice means more interruption for the company.
“At the end of the day, we want a collective agreement. And if this is what we need to do to get a collective agreement, then this is what we’ll do. It’s strategic,” said Corner.
Canada Post and CUPW have also been in negotiations for nearly two years.
The union has not yet responded to the corporation’s latest offer presented October 3.
-with files from Caitlin Snow
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