February 29, 2008
Ottawa - Some news reports and commentaries have recently questioned the commitment of Canada Post to traditional mail delivery. In the face of this, Canada Post wishes to reaffirm the commitment of the corporation to maintaining traditional service wherever and whenever possible.
"We are committed to rural mail delivery and the rural Canadian way of life", said Len Sterling, General Manager, Rural Mail, Canada Post. Mr. Sterling added, "Labour Canada, which is a federal government agency, has handed us more than 40 rulings on workplace safety, relating to complaints from rural mail carriers. So far we have received more than 1400 such complaints across the country. Clearly there is a larger safety issue staring at us. And as a responsible employer we can't just ignore it. In fact we are required to address this issue under the Criminal Code and the Labour Code."
Community outreach is the backbone of this safety review. Canada Post customers are informed and consulted throughout the process. Before safety assessments begin in an area we publish advertisements in local newspapers so customers are aware of the upcoming review. Then each customer, whose mailbox is to be assessed, gets a letter. If a customer's mailbox meets the safety criteria, we send the customer a letter indicating delivery will continue as always. If the customer's mailbox does not meet the criteria, Canada Post representatives meet the customer in person to discuss options. In many cases, merely moving the mailbox a couple of meters from its original spot makes it meet the criteria. This is a clear indicator of our dedication to maintaining rural mail delivery. We consider changing a customer's mode of delivery only as a last resort when the safety of our employees and the driving public is at stake. Despite all efforts, if the customer's mode of delivery has to be changed, we meet the customer in person to discuss delivery options. We have also set up a dedicated toll free telephone line to address customer concerns.
The safety review process is entirely transparent. An integral part of this review is close interaction with our operational union which represents our rural mail carriers. We regularly consult our union at the national, regional and local levels. Each rural mail carrier whose route is being assessed is also consulted throughout the process and his or her input plays an important role in the assessment.
Canada Post would once again like to thank our customers for their cooperation during this process. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this project might have caused. We are dedicated to providing all Canadians the best possible service, while considering the health and safety of our employees.
For more information on this project Canada Post customers can call 1-866-501-1669 or visit us at www.canadapost.ca/ruralmail.
