CUPW: Canada Post Speaking Out of Both Sides of Its Mouth
The following was provided by CUPW during Reports of Unions at our June 12, 2024 General Meeting:
Monday June 3 2024
2023-2027/111
No. 19
Canada Post Creating Confusion
On May 29th, in front of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO), Canada Post Corporation CEO, Doug Ettinger, was questioned about the future of the Corporation. When asked about alternate day delivery, he firmly stated that it’s “not on the table.” He even emphasized that to remain competitive, “we need seven-day delivery.”
Yet, Canada Post’s spokesperson and other representatives have been suggesting through the media that the way out of Canada Post’s financial troubles is through cuts. This confusion comes on the heels of Canada Post announcing further losses – $76 million in the first quarter of 2024 – despite selling off assets, including profitable SCI.
We know from Mr. Ettinger’s Presidents Message in the 2022 Annual Report that Canada Post is in the midst of a five-year plan (2021-2025) to spend $4 billion to “transform the business”, that’s right they planned to spend an extra $800 million a year on new trucks, buildings scanners, IT, etc… and because we are in bargaining there is a state of crisis. If Management was not spending this extra $800 million a year, would the Corporation be showing a loss?
Dodging the Question on Executive Bonuses
While Canada Post blames our labour costs for its financial issues, it won’t come clean about the bonuses that executives award themselves and management all the way down to supervisors.
When directly questioned by an MP about executive bonuses, Mr. Ettinger said that “not one dime” was ever paid out from the Corporate Team Incentive bonus program (CTI). But this is not true, and Mr. Ettinger left out the other bonus structure.
The CTI was only paid out in 2008-2009. While the CTI does apply to executives, those executives, supervisors, and office employees have their own bonus program called “At Risk” and we know they, likely including Ettinger, received payments last year and this year. We know the Supervisors have “At risk” incentive payments totalling up to thousands of dollars per year that are not part of their base pay. While the CTI is not paying the front-line workers, people behind the scenes are getting their bonuses a different way.
CUPW demands full transparency and the truth. Mr. Ettinger needs to come clean on executive and other management bonuses and/ or incentives once and for all.
CUPW Expansion Plan is the Answer
While Canada Post continues to create public confusion, CUPW has a clear vision about how to ensure the financial sustainability of our public postal service. CUPW’s Delivering Community Power program proposes expanding services, including establishing a public postal bank, senior check-ins, community hubs and other innovative solutions.
Canada Post needs to stop misleading the public and start listening to workers. That starts at the negotiating table. Talks at the bargaining table continue.
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In solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President
