News

In a big victory for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canada Post has announced it will freeze the implementation of its community mailbox program. The controversial program was begun by Canada Post earlier this year in an effort to end door-to-door mail delivery to most Canadian households. The CUPW has campaigned vigorously against the cuts in the service, criss-crossing the country in a caravan, mobilising members against the plans, and building support for their position in local and provincial governments. The unions succeeded in making the postal cuts an issue in the recent parliamentary campaigns, and the new Liberal government had promised to put a halt to the community mailbox program and issue a study reviewing its impacts.

CUPW President Mike Palecek said in an interview that the union's members are "ecstatic" about the news. The union has argued that rather than focus on cuts in service, Canada Post should instead be focusing on growing in other areas, such as postal banking and financial services.

With the news of the moratoriam on future cuts, the union will now focus on restoring door-to-door delivery to the one million addresses that have already been converted to community mailboxes.