BC FORUM News - From The Advocate, Winter 2018

Support for postal workers

From page 6

As the union responded to months of fruitless negotiations with a series of rotating strikes, BC FORUM fired off letters to Prime Minister Trudeau and Canada Post President Jessica McDonald.

The letters, sent Oct. 24, call on Trudeau and McDonald to work for a just, decent and fair collective agreement between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).

“BC FORUM supports the CUPW strike, even though our members use Canada Post to send and receive mail,” wrote Diane Wood, President. “Our members are appreciative that CUPW and Canada Post have agreed to deliver CPP and OAS/GIS cheques during a strike.”

The letters expressed concern about a significant 36 percent increase in injuries among postal workers, the incidence of part-time precarious work, and disparities in remuneration and working conditions for rural and suburban mail carriers. They supported CUPW’s efforts to address these issues.

Rather than resort to back to work legislation, BC FORUM called on the government “to take the necessary steps to achieve a negotiated fair collective agreement with CUPW.”

Postal banking motion defeated

From page 6

Liberal MPs teamed up with the Conservatives in late October to vote down an NDP motion to study postal banking. The motion would have set up a committee to recommend the best model for a public system of postal banking under Canada Post.

Postal banking could provide services in rural and Indigenous communities that have been abandoned by big banks, and could also be an alternative to predatory payday lenders who are often the only choice for low-income Canadians.

“Postal banking would allow us to utilize the vast infrastructure of Canada Post that is already in place to deliver banking services across the country,” said Irene Mathyssen, NDP’s Canada Post Critic. “However, Liberals much like the Harper Conservatives, lack any vision for modernizing Canada Post.”

Mathyssen’s motion was supported by thousands of people who signed petitions. Postal banking is also endorsed by the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association, Canadian Union of Postal Workers and over 700 municipalities.

“The fight doesn’t end here,” said Mathyssen. “Canadians have been inspired by the idea.”