Deborah's Bourque's Speech for the 24th Anniversary of Canada Post

Deborah Bourque speaking at the protest. In the background are Odina Desrocher - Bloc Québécois; Hassan Yussuf - Canadian Labour Congress and Richard Des Lauriers, Acting President, Union of Postal Communications Employees (Public Service Alliance of Canada).

On the twenty fourth anniversary of Canada Post Corporation, our gift to Canada Post comes in the form of advice...and cake.

We want Canada Post to invest its profits in the future of public postal service and postal workers.

We want Canada Post to say no to closures, yes to first-rate service, and yes to well-paying and stable jobs!

Closing one of two mail processing plants in Quebec is not good for service and it is not good for workers.

It makes no sense, no sense at all, to put Quebec City mail on trucks, drive it to the west end of Montreal, process it and then put it back on trucks to drive it back to Quebec City.

It makes no sense at all to cut over 300 jobs. This hurts workers. This hurts the community. And this hurts postal service.

The same cut and slash mentality has hit our rural post offices, despite a government moratorium on rural closures. Around 50 rural post offices have been closed permanently or temporarily since 2001.

Cuts to rural postal service tear at the links between thousands of communities scattered throughout over nine million square kilometres of land. Cuts to rural postal service isolate people; cut-off communities and harm economies.

This might not be the end of the cuts either. Canada Post has admitted it is currently reviewing its national network, which means more cuts and closures may be on the horizon.

These cuts and closures come despite 10 consecutive years of profit. Canada Post made $147 million net profit in 2004. It has made $923 million net profit over the last ten years.

Straight from Canada Post's 2004 annual report: profit and service improvement are a reflection of the commitment and dedication of its employees.

Well, now it's time for Canada Post to show a little commitment and dedication to its employees. Stop cutting jobs! Stop plant and post office closures! Start investing in health and safety! The corporation should be ashamed that one in eight CUPW members is injured each year.

As Canada Post enters its 24th year, it is clear things need to change.

We want Canada Post to remember its mandate, which was set out in legislation 24 years ago today.

Canada Post has a legal mandate to:
1) Be financially self-sustaining,
2) Improve service, and
3) Balance the objectives of the corporation with the needs of employees.

We have three pieces of advice for Canada Post:
1) On financial self-sufficiency: Stop being greedy! It's time to focus on public interest objectives, not commercial objectives, by putting profits back into service.
2) On improving service: The only way to improve service at post offices and plants is by investing in them, not closing them!
3) On balancing the need of workers with the objectives of the corporation: Canada Post's "Let them eat cake" attitude has got to go! Stop treating the union and its members like serfs! Keep plants open!

We all deserve better after a decade of profits! Shame on you, Canada Post! It is time to give communities and postal workers a share of the cake too!

On that note, I invite everyone to listen to a few more speakers and share a piece of the cake.