COMMENT: Union speaks to local service reductions by Canada Post
By Contributor
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Castlegar Local is outraged by the announcement made by Canada Post (CPC) manager Norm Ouellet that, effective May 12, 2014, customers will no longer be able to pick up carded items such as parcels or mail requiring a signature at the corporate
Post Office. On that date, items will be redirected to the private postal
outlets at Shoppers Drug Mart in Castlegar or Johnny’s store in Robson.
“This reduction in service falls on the heels of the manager’s decision
to open our post office later each morning. If customers have door to door
delivery in town or community mailboxes in the surrounding area, their carded items will no longer be secured for pick up at the post office,” said Cindy McCallum Miller, CUPW Castlegar vice president.
“We have been advised that, as of May 12, our customers in Castlegar,
Thrums, Glade and Shoreacres will have to go to the south end of town to pick up their items at Shoppers. Meanwhile our customers in Brilliant, Broadwater Road, Pass Creek and Raspberry will be diverted to Robson,” McCallum Miller said.
“The manager made no justification for this change. He ignored the fact
that we have ample space to keep these items secure, and traditionally the
majority of residents in Castlegar and area have picked up their items at our
office,” she said. “We suspect the corporation is trying to justify the elimination of two full time clerk positions that come into effect on May 5 and perhaps this is the first phase of an undisclosed plan to eliminate Castlegar’s corporate retail office.
“If they divert all our customer traffic then they will use the excuse of reduced traffic to implement further cuts,” McCallum Miller said.
“After an ill conceived five-point plan that has raised the price of postage
and will eliminate door to door service, this is just another slap in the
face for residents of Castlegar and surrounding communities and a threat to
the public post office,” she concluded.
