The Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA) is calling on Canada Post to reconsider their decision to close the Canada Post office in King’s Point on Saturdays.
Currently, Canada Post in King’s Point is open on Saturdays for four hours, in addition to regular business hours during the week.
CPAA, the bargaining agent that represents over 8000 employees of Canada Post that work in rural post offices, says the cuts to the service in King’s Point means a reduction in services to the rural Newfoundland community.
“CPAA received notice that the Canada Post Corporation plans to eliminate Saturday service in Kings Point,” said the group’s News Release. “We firmly believe that closing the post office on Saturdays could ultimately affect the standard of postal service.”
Reason for keeping the office open, says CPAA, is to give residents an opportunity to avail of postal services if they don’t have much of a chance to during the week.
“If these reductions are implemented, there will be a negative impact on the services as well as the earnings of affected employees,” they continued. “You will not be able to pick up or mail parcels, buy or cash money orders, pick up call for items, such as registered letters, Xpresspost or purchase postal products, etc.”
The group also cited a loss of wages for the employees at the post office should the office close on Saturdays.
Similar closures have happened in other communities in the province as well, including Sunnyside, New Harbour, English Harbour West, Belloram, Carmanville, Port Au Port, Englee, Cape Broyle, Churchill Falls, Norris Arm, Aguathuna, Western Bay, Renews, Colliers, and Hickman’s Harbour, says CPAA.
“All 15 communities objected to the downgrade of postal service but their objections fell on deaf ears because Canada Post moved forward and closed the Saturdays anyway,” they claim.
However, for the Mayor of King’s Point, Ed Wright, he says there doesn’t appear to be much opposition in his community from the closure.
“From what I can understand, there isn’t much opposition to the announcement that the office will be closed on Saturdays from now on,” he said. “We had a council meeting the other night, and this matter was on the agenda – the consensus is that people in town are unlikely to miss the service, because it wasn’t needed to a high enough degree.”
Wright says that the four hours the post office was open on Saturdays didn’t get justification from the use of the office during that time.
“There just isn’t that great of a demand to keep it open on Saturdays moving forward,” he said. “Most of what people want to do, they do during the week, and if they don’t, they wait until Monday when the office is open again.”
As for the loss in wages from employees, Wright says he agrees, that’s unfortunate, but he can understand the need for the cut in service.
As for CPAA, though, they feel that the cuts to Saturday service are just the beginning.
“Are Rural Canadians expected to tolerate a reduced level of Postal Service? We urge (people) to take up the cause and insist that the Federal Government halt the Saturday closures, which could cause a steady erosion of postal service in our Rural Communities.”
editor@thenorwester.ca
