Better business models shouldn’t be at the expense of employee wages.
Canada Post has submitted an updated offer to the union representing 55,000 striking postal workers, maintaining most measures from its latest offer but removing the signing bonus for employees. The provisions include a 13.9 per cent wage increase over four years but hasn’t updated the health benefits or offered to enroll employees in a pension plan. The bottom line is that workers don’t strike without cause—it’s a last-resort effort to secure fair, livable wages.
Postal workers perform an essential public service and deserve fair pay for it. Supporting unions matters—even when it’s inconvenient—because that very inconvenience proves how vital their work truly is.
Although Canada Post hasn’t turned a profit since 2017, workers shouldn’t bear the consequences of poor management or a shifting digital economy. It’s time for Canada Post to adopt a sustainable business model that ensures employees are paid fairly.
In ’88, Air Canada, a then Crown Corporation, was no longer profitable, and the government sold their shares to the public. Now, nearly 40 years later, Air Canada turns a consistent profit. The Netherlands privatized their postal service in ’94 and is now able to pay its employees adequately.
The Canadian Government and Canada Post need to get creative about their solution for declining profitability in the postal sector, and cutting employee wages shouldn’t be on the table. Privatization’s a strong option, but it would need to be done correctly. If privatized, Canada Post should operate under a Universal Service Obligation, ensuring all Canadians can access their mail—no matter how rural their residence.
Happy employees are 13 per cent more productive, and by paying its employees and providing benefits, Canada Post could become vastly more efficient. If Canada Post wants its employees to do their jobs, it should find a way to pay them well and respect their needs.
Ultimately, the future of Canada Post depends on its ability to adapt without sacrificing the needs of the employees who are essential to keeping the postal service running. Many require Canada Post for access to important documents and medications. The path forward for Canada Post needs to involve big changes, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of employee wages and benefits.
—Journal Editorial Board
Tags
Canada Post, CUPW, Postal Strike
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rod follwell
Why do you believe that postal workers do not have a fair wage and generous benefits?