Cindy McCallum Miller, a long-time union activist; former National Director for the Prairie Region of CUPW, who is currently a rank and file postal worker in Castlegar, BC., and a delegate to the West Kootenay Labour Council, was shocked by what she calls the “ short sighted announcement by Canada Post to destroy service in the next 5 years”.
McCallum Miller made the comment in an email to members of the West Kootenay Labour Council on Friday, December 13, 2013, urging the Labour Council to stand up to the announced cuts.
“CPC made profits for 16 years and then Harper appointed Deepak Chopra from the private sector to take over the crown corporation and he has systematically attacked our contracts and the public service and taken the corporation into red ink for the first time in nearly 2 decades.” McCallum Miller lamented.
“Perhaps he (Chopra) and his bad planning should go now!”, McCallum Miller suggested.
McCallum Miller is encouraging WKLC union affiliates, their members and all West Kootenay residents to fight the announced cuts, “and support our position that CPC’s misguided leadership needs to rescind their path of destruction.”
An online petition is available for people to protest the announced cuts at: http://www.isupport-boulerice.org/stop_service_cuts_at_canada_post
McCallum Miller urges everyone to sign the petition and circulate it widely.
“Harper’s Canada will have nothing for the public left in any of the traditional civil services or civil rights by the time he’s through and we have to stop this trend any way we can. This is a tiny first start. Thank you in advance for adding your voice with mine to stop the cuts.”
Impact of Service Cuts Announced
Instead of looking for ways to modernize operations, Canada Post and the Conservatives are taking an axe to long-treasured postal services – killing good jobs, eliminating home delivery, cutting rural post office hours and drastically increasing postage rates.
6,000 to 8,000 workers will lose their jobs and five million households will lose home delivery over the next five years. Worse yet, no real consultation was done by Canada Post, effectively eliminating any opportunity for input from the people who will be most affected.
By cutting services, it is possible that Canada Post will drive away customers and raise the costs. Canada Post offers a public service that needs to be protected.
Andrew Phillip Chernoff 