[Coren]

Canada Post is phasing out door-to-door delivery of regular mail to urban residents and increasing the cost of stamps in a major move to try to reduce significant, regular losses.

The Crown corporation announced its plans Wednesday, saying urban home delivery will be phased out over the next five years.

Starting March 31, the cost of a stamp will increase to 85 cents each if bought in a pack, up from 63 cents. Individual stamps will cost a dollar.

Read more at

Canada Post to phase out urban home mail delivery - Ottawa - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canada-post-to-phase-out-urban-home-mail-delivery-1.2459618)

Or watch it at Canada Post's Five-point Action Plan -- Employees - YouTube

[murd0c]

I'm not surprised at all, give it another 10years and everything might be done electronically. It's weird thinking about that but that's the way it's going so I can't really see this as a surprise.

[Hondaracer]

The waits at my post office to pickup packages I missed at the door are a fucking joke, hire more in-store staff if they end door to door delivery, waiting fucking 20 minutes to get two HDMI cables :/
Posted via RS Mobile

[stewie]

:( the old Asian guy who delivers the mail to my house is awesome :(

He makes weird funny faces at my dogs everyday while they're barking at him through the window and talks to me when I'm outside.
Posted via RS Mobile

[murd0c]

So no more Milkman, no more mailman who is everyone going to blame being the father?

[bballguy]

Me

[FerrariEnzo]

I dont think I have ever mailed anything in the past 10 years..

[Ride]

I don't kno if anyone noticed but theres far fewer mailboxes around, it's tough finding one theses days.
Posted via RS Mobile

[BoostedBB6]

I have not mailed anything in years but I still get mail from various places.
Been switching to electronic billing wherever possible. Seems like what gets delivered now is just junk mail....cant say I will miss it at all haha

[evlee]

I have not received anything in my mail box for the past 1.5 years as I have which to online everything
Posted via RS Mobile

[ziggyx]

http://static.happyplace.com/assets/images/2011/07/4e302dde856b1.jpg

:okay:

[Dragon-88]

Opening up mail is like opening up presents. Doesn't matter what it is, you just want to have that feeling of opening it up.

[freakshow]

Opening up mail is like opening up presents. Doesn't matter what it is, you just want to have that feeling of opening it up.
When you have your own place, 50% of the mail you open will be bills, and the other 50% will be ads/coupons/spam..

[quasi]

^^

Most of it is just statements of shit we're to lazy to switch to paperless and the rest of it is bullshit spam from realtors and coupons.

[Energy]

I still mail Christmas cards :okay:

[MG1]

Buy up "P" stamps now. They will always be whatever the going rate is.

[MasonJar]

The only mail I ever get:

-CT flyer
-Bestbuy flyer
-Futureshop flyer
-Save-on flyer
-Safeway flyer
-random coupon spam/junk envelope
-Army and Navy flyer

-MSP bill
-ICBC reminder
-bridge toll bill
-property tax/assessment
-annoying "you're due for a cleaning" from a dentist I no longer visit
-student loan statement

-mail for other people

Getting mail as an adult sucks...there is nothing "fun" about opening it anymore.

[RCubed]

If they're gonna switch to community mailboxes, they gotta make those more secure.
Ours have been broken into twice the past month.

The hinges look so flimsy, you could probably pry it open with a fork.

[kunoman1]

I still mail Christmas cards :okay:

Me too :okay:
Everyones always surprised when they're handwritten..

[Gh0stRider]

send e-cards lol

[finbar]

I have not mailed anything in years but I still get mail from various places.
Been switching to electronic billing wherever possible. Seems like what gets delivered now is just junk mail....cant say I will miss it at all haha

Opt out of junk mail here (http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/support/helpcentre/others/opt_out.jsf)

[way2quik]

Buy up "P" stamps now. They will always be whatever the going rate is.

I'm already hearing stores were sent instructions to pull these P stamps.
Now to find a store which still sells these.

[Speed2K]

Damn, now it will be more work to get the samples from the free stuff thread. :badpokerface:

[tiger_handheld]

How do other countries mail systems make money?

What about that Drone thing from amazon? I heard some Euro country was trying it out for mail delivery. Wonder if it would work in Canada?

The only downside aside from the jobs lost is the fact that mail thieves now get 100:1 deal. break into 1 community box get 100 items vs. travel, break in , travel break in - time is money! I hope these community boxes have some good security.

[stump]

How do other countries mail systems make money?

The only downside aside from the jobs lost is the fact that mail thieves now get 100:1 deal. break into 1 community box get 100 items vs. travel, break in , travel break in - time is money! I hope these community boxes have some good security.


We had our mailbox broken into 4 times last year during tax season and that was the inside community box for our apartment. We finally had to move it to a more secure area in the building.

I can't imagine a community box outside somewhere being more secure.

[Coren]

Community mail boxes are more secure then the apartment panels. However, it can still be broken into.
And it is a pain in the ass when it does. Takes like a week or two for them to be fixed and sometimes they switch the keys on your box so you have to wait even longer before you get your mail.

And all the outlets with Canada post on them already pulled the P stamps shortly after the news went out. You may still be able to find some at gas stations or small stores
Edit: Sister told me Costco is still selling them at $60 for the 100 roll

[MasonJar]

Really, the only thing carriers deliver these days is fliers and come to think of it, gov't mail. Everything else I get is electronic except gov't shit.

[MG1]

Community mail boxes are more secure then the apartment panels. However, it can still be broken into.
And it is a pain in the ass when it does. Takes like a week or two for them to be fixed and sometimes they switch the keys on your box so you have to wait even longer before you get your mail.

And all the outlets with Canada post on them already pulled the P stamps shortly after the news went out. You may still be able to find some at gas stations or small stores
Edit: Sister told me Costco is still selling them at $60 for the 100 roll

Collectors can still get "P" stamps. I better get them before they pull those, too. It's a shame they didn't issue any new ones recently. Those stamps would become rare and be worth more.

Like the rate change stamps that got canceled because Canada Post decided not to raise the rate. A few stamps got to post offices before they were pulled and destroyed. They are now worth hundreds.

[Super Dipper]

Really, the only thing carriers deliver these days is fliers and come to think of it, gov't mail. Everything else I get is electronic except gov't shit.

We deliver a little more than fliers and government mail just a heads up.

[MasonJar]

We deliver a little more than fliers and government mail just a heads up.

Quite obviously, but the majority of shit that ends up in my mail box are fliers. I have changed everything over the electronic billing: phone, cable/internet, bank statements, mortgage stuff, etc. All other mail I get comes from MSP, student loans, property tax, etc.

I also just received a lovely note from Christy Clark asking me to make a donation to the Liberal Party *eyeroll*

I have taken to only checking my mail once a week and immediately recycling 20+ fliers and never opening the less than 3 pieces of legitimate mail.

Don't get me wrong...it is going to be a huge hardship to those employed by Canada Post. I find it frustrating that yet another gov't corporation will be slashing thousands of job. My mail carrier is the nicest lady but I often wonder if she gets annoying with the amount of garbage she delivers.

[iEatClams]

Buy up "P" stamps now. They will always be whatever the going rate is.

when do the rates start going up for stamps?

[MG1]

http://www.revscene.net/forums/691107-canada-post-end-door-door-delivery.html#post8380141

in original post........

[iEatClams]

How do other countries mail systems make money?

What about that Drone thing from amazon? I heard some Euro country was trying it out for mail delivery. Wonder if it would work in Canada?

The only downside aside from the jobs lost is the fact that mail thieves now get 100:1 deal. break into 1 community box get 100 items vs. travel, break in , travel break in - time is money! I hope these community boxes have some good security.

As a caveat, I'm usually pretty left leaning, supporting worker rights and a right to make a decent living, as well as being against corporate lobbying and greed.

But in this case, some of it does have to do with the wages. Many of the staff at Canada Post (CP) make over $30 an hour to file mail. or even $35+ to deliver mail. Yes I understand it's not easy to deliver male in bad weather carrying 40? lb bags or mail. But still, when you can easily deliver your route in 4-5 hours and then bank over time wages during holidays. Wages can get out of hand.

I understand they have a two-tier system where newer employees are at least paid a bit less, but there seems to be some mis-management on the employee side. How about hiring more seasonal employees during busy season so that you dont have to pay 1.5x or 2.x for Overtime?

And no I dont want this to turn to another Union bashing thread.

The management were also slow to adopt to changes to the electronic age. ie. Blockbuster

sucks that people have to lose jobs. seems to be hearing a lot of stories like that right now with Encana, Potash, Heinz ketchup, Kelloggs, BMO etc. right before christmas.

[MasonJar]

People need to make $30+ an hour in the country to sustain a living and to be able to spend to stimulate the economy.

This country is dying. Companies are moving, cost of living is growing higher and higher, wages are not keeping up, real estate is out of reach for most, and now not even gov't can afford to pay their employees any longer.

Yes, Canada Post is being made redundant due to technology, but it was poorly managed from the beginning which will make to string more painful.

[Hondaracer]

On the other hand USA is going to a 6 day delivery week
Posted via RS Mobile

[zilley]

so.. is it time to invest in some stamps?

[Sw0op]

On the other hand USA is going to a 6 day delivery week
Posted via RS Mobile

....USPS tried ending Saturday delivery awhile ago but cant because its in their constitution or something..they are in a whackload of debt as well

[linni]

not good, but nothing we can do.

[MasonJar]

On the other hand USA is going to a 6 day delivery week
Posted via RS Mobile

UK has Saturday delivery as well.

It seems that a lot of countries are increase while we are decreasing...either we are WAY ahead in our thinking or have royally fucked something up.

[Hondaracer]

I don't think cutting costs appropriately at the federal level is ever a bad thing but if service falls to shit then who knows
Posted via RS Mobile

[jasonturbo]

In unrelated news, the number of mail carriers injured on the job through slips and trips is up 2000% over last year...

#youhearditherefirst

[gars]

Royal Mail can't really be compared to because the UK is just so much more dense than Canada. If you have a letter going from one end of the country to the other, you'll need to put it on a plane in Canada, while in the UK - you can put it on a Lorry and it'll still be faster.

USPS is easier to compare to - and well....

The Post Office Is Broke: It's Time To End Washington's Postal Monopoly - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2013/08/12/the-post-office-is-broke-its-time-to-end-washingtons-postal-monopoly/)

16 Billion deficit last year. According to the article - they were running 4 billion in the red back in August.

[Great68]

I still like my paper bills, gives me a good reminder to pay them. Harder to forget about something that I can pin up on my bulletin board and have to walk past everyday, than something that can get buried in my inbox.

And I get more spam in my email inbox than I do in my house mailbox.

[Hondaracer]

Rogers been fucking me in the ass with paperless billing, I'm going to be holding onto all the paper billing I can for as long as I can

Without a paper trail it's hard to look back through months without printing out 30 pages of online bills
Posted via RS Mobile

[fliptuner]

What a slap in the face that employees found out through the news.

[carisear]

Rogers been fucking me in the ass with paperless billing, I'm going to be holding onto all the paper billing I can for as long as I can

Without a paper trail it's hard to look back through months without printing out 30 pages of online bills
Posted via RS Mobile


save as pdf. name the file accordingly. WAY easier than filing paper.

[MasonJar]

I still like my paper bills, gives me a good reminder to pay them. Harder to forget about something that I can pin up on my bulletin board and have to walk past everyday, than something that can get buried in my inbox.

And I get more spam in my email inbox than I do in my house mailbox.

When I switched everything over the electronic bill years ago I was terrible at remembering to pay....I just set all my bills up for automatic payment. Every single bill I have is paid on the 4th of every month regardless of when it is due. I even had my car insurance switched to come out on the 4th.

On the 1st of every month I switch a bunch of money into my "bill" account and I don't even think about it anymore. It is easy to remember b/c I I need to pay my mortgage, etc on the 1st so its when I do all my banking.

[Jayboogz]

Paper mail is actualy more secure than email lol.

[RRxtar]

All my monthly invoices are paid by a cheque in the mail. I guess I will have to figure out a way to move that to electronic payment

I switched all my invoicing over to email 2 years ago. And let a couple of clients go because they didn't know how to use email. Lol



While most people in this thread I imagine are typical 9-5 employees and only get crap in the mail, many small businesses still rely on mail.

[tiger_handheld]

Re: wages

I was at CP yesterday picking up mail cuz our apartment box broken into. I was there for about 10-15mins and I saw 3 works come to work in Yellow Cab. Maybe they take it from the skytrain (closest is Gateway), but the walk is about 15mins from skytrain to CP. They must be making enough $$ to afford cab rides - probably on a regular basis.

I wonder what would happen if CP privatizes mail delivery - just delivery. Would that even be possible? Kind of like Coast Mountain Bus Co. is to Translink.

[suprasian]

Re: wages

I was at CP yesterday picking up mail cuz our apartment box broken into. I was there for about 10-15mins and I saw 3 works come to work in Yellow Cab. Maybe they take it from the skytrain (closest is Gateway), but the walk is about 15mins from skytrain to CP. They must be making enough $$ to afford cab rides - probably on a regular basis.

I wonder what would happen if CP privatizes mail delivery - just delivery. Would that even be possible? Kind of like Coast Mountain Bus Co. is to Translink.

those cabs are used to get to their starting points on their routes and CP pays for that not the letter carriers. CP is already rolling out a new delivery system in which most routes will now use a corporate vehicle so using a cab will be gone in the future.

[MasonJar]

Re: wages

I was at CP yesterday picking up mail cuz our apartment box broken into. I was there for about 10-15mins and I saw 3 works come to work in Yellow Cab. Maybe they take it from the skytrain (closest is Gateway), but the walk is about 15mins from skytrain to CP. They must be making enough $$ to afford cab rides - probably on a regular basis.



Woah man, that is pretty fuckin' judgey of you!

Maybe you should list what you spend your money on and we can all critique it and decide whether or not you are paid too much.

Maybe these carriers are paid to much and maybe they aren't. This problem started years and years ago and I wouldn't be passing judgement on anyone one of those 8000 people who just got the heads-up to their pink slip via the news yesterday.

[Great68]

When I switched everything over the electronic bill years ago I was terrible at remembering to pay....I just set all my bills up for automatic payment. Every single bill I have is paid on the 4th of every month regardless of when it is due. I even had my car insurance switched to come out on the 4th.

On the 1st of every month I switch a bunch of money into my "bill" account and I don't even think about it anymore. It is easy to remember b/c I I need to pay my mortgage, etc on the 1st so its when I do all my banking.

How do you auto-pay stuff like your credit cards when the balance is going to be different every month?

[fliptuner]

I'm setup to auto-pay the minimum (kind of like a failsafe) but I'm sure you can set it up to at least pay a set amount.

[trancehead]

biggest issue with paper bills or anything not digitized is:

How do you search through them quickly and efficiently? So not just bills posted on specific dates, but certain keywords etc.

And the physical aspect of it:
You need space to store it. you need space to dump it. And you could lose it (and it is much easier to backup digital files than physical ones. lol and a backup of a physical file could possibly be a digital file)

Also you may not always be home. So if it is digitized, there is a way to access such information quickly and efficiently.

And security? It all depends on implementation on whatever system you are using. it can always be improved upon

[MasonJar]

How do you auto-pay stuff like your credit cards when the balance is going to be different every month?

Exactly what Ice Boy said.

I set it to the minimum (or about that) but when I am doing my banking at the beginning of the month, I can always throw some more money at it but if I forget or get side-tracked with something else, at least I know the min. is paid.

Same with my phone...I'd rather over pay than under. Usually it works out that I will have a positive balance at the end of the year or when I remember to check. Its kind of a nice little bonus. I ended up with a positive balance of $400 last year and didn't have to pay that bill for months, lol.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

How do you auto-pay stuff like your credit cards when the balance is going to be different every month?

the bank emails me when a bill is near due. or i just log on. and then i view the e-bill and pay via bank transfer or whatever.

the only shit i get thats not electronic is hydro... and spam. lol.

[fliptuner]

aaannndd I just received a CTB cheque...... :notbad:

[Coren]

I find it funny that a lot of people bitch about only getting junk mail and bills. But when they are expecting something like a cheque, they will once again bitch and moan. However this time it is that the mail takes forever to get to them and that the service is slow and unreliable.

Also postal employees don't make $30+ an hour unless they are doing overtime. Starting pay with the two tier wage is $19 an hour. Regular full time employees are paid around $24 an hour.

Bonuses were paid even though the company was losing millions of dollars a year. But guess who gets the bonuses? Not the employees who are out there delivering your mail. Its the management and office workers.

Another thing, the CEO of Canada Post, Deepak Chopra, sits on the board of the Conference Board of Canada (the thing that says they are going to lose $1 billion dollars by 2020). Conflict of interest much?

[kunoman1]

Paper mail is actualy more secure than email lol.

Indian High Commission returns to typewriters - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10339111/Indian-High-Commission-returns-to-typewriters.html)

"The Indian High Commission in London has reverted to using typewriters to compose sensitive documents in the wake of the NSA spying scandal."

[Jas29]

Canada post isn't slow anymore we receive letters from Vancouver to Surrey the next day.

[RRxtar]

^ lucky. All BC mail gets sorted in Vancouver now. So Kelowna to Kelowna mail has to go to vancouver first. 3-4 day mail now takes a week and a half. And that's when a Canada Post truck doesnt crash on the connector, theres been like 3 or 4 in the last year.

[kunoman1]

^ lucky. All BC mail gets sorted in Vancouver now. So Kelowna to Kelowna mail has to go to vancouver first. 3-4 day mail now takes a week and a half. And that's when a Canada Post truck doesnt crash on the connector, theres been like 3 or 4 in the last year.

That just seems so inefficient...

In semirelated news, does Canada Post still do same day delivery (before a certain time) for lower mainland -> Lower mainland postage? I recall a few years ago around this time people were getting my letters almost faster than I could have delivered them myself.

[Great68]

That just seems so inefficient...

In semirelated news, does Canada Post still do same day delivery (before a certain time) for lower mainland -> Lower mainland postage? I recall a few years ago around this time people were getting my letters almost faster than I could have delivered them myself.

Same thing for the island, they take our mail to Vancouver, and then send it back to us.

[Traum]

Obviously, the demographics here on RS is generally younger -- no older than 30-40? So for the most part, the community mail box thing wouldn't be too much of an issue for us. But as many news articles have pointed out, moving over to a community mail box system impacts seniors dramatically more than anyone else. Imagine yourself being old and frail, are you going to go out 2 blocks in last week's weather just to pick up your mail?

Since cost is supposed to be the central issue here, it seems to me that less frequent days of delivery is a more ideal solution. And I'm sure other ideas better than community mail boxes can be found as well.

[melloman]

INB4 criminals go on mail theft spree's.

Just down my street is a community mailbox and I've seen that thing, like 1/2 block away because some guy tried putting a chain around it and driving off with it.. :pokerface:

These things better get more secure.. Or CP is going to have a world of headaches.

[RRxtar]

To be fair, breaking into a locked community mail box is harder than simply opening the lid to a residential mail box

[Hondaracer]

I'd say $24 an hour and a gold plate pension is pretty sweet for outing letters in boxes
Posted via RS Mobile

[MasonJar]

I'd say $24 an hour and a gold plate pension is pretty sweet for outing letters in boxes
Posted via RS Mobile

Cool.

What do you do and how much do you much? Maybe we can take a poll here and decide whether your income is appropriate.

$24/hr is only just under $50,000/year....$35k after tax. That ain't a lot to live off of.

[StylinRed]

the arguments ive been hearing is that canada post has been profitable for the last 15+ years (aside for 2011s labour fiasco) kind of makes you think if this is simply a way around their contract/pension issues with the workforce rather than a lack of mail being sent

[dark0821]

Cool.

What do you do and how much do you much? Maybe we can take a poll here and decide whether your income is appropriate.

$24/hr is only just under $50,000/year....$35k after tax. That ain't a lot to live off of.

Let me know when you can land a $24/hour job without post secondary education. When I was a student, I too laughed at people who were only making $24 a hour...

And now here I am, hitting mid 20's and finally just recently in this year got bumped in to the >$25/hour category.... (and that is with a University degree). Is my job easier than a post man... well ya, because I sit behind a desk... but I would say my income is pretty decent...

I understand what you are saying, but I think $24/hr is "a lot" to live off. and no... not everyone is going to land a $35/hr job just so they can live a "normal" live....

[bing]

Cool.

What do you do and how much do you much? Maybe we can take a poll here and decide whether your income is appropriate.

$24/hr is only just under $50,000/year....$35k after tax. That ain't a lot to live off of.

http://s14.postimg.org/dboszr28h/taxrate.jpg

According to this chart, 52% of the population makes 1-30k/year. This figure goes up to 74% if we include annual incomes up to 50k.

If a job did indeed require no education and paid $24/hr (translating into $50k/yr), I would say that's quite generous not only on a global basis but also locally since the median Vancouver family income of 2 earners is ~65k.

Although I will agree with you in a sense because the threshold to make the top 10% of incomes in this country is incredibly low.

[iEatClams]

I find it funny that a lot of people bitch about only getting junk mail and bills. But when they are expecting something like a cheque, they will once again bitch and moan. However this time it is that the mail takes forever to get to them and that the service is slow and unreliable.

Also postal employees don't make $30+ an hour unless they are doing overtime. Starting pay with the two tier wage is $19 an hour. Regular full time employees are paid around $24 an hour.

Bonuses were paid even though the company was losing millions of dollars a year. But guess who gets the bonuses? Not the employees who are out there delivering your mail. Its the management and office workers.

Another thing, the CEO of Canada Post, Deepak Chopra, sits on the board of the Conference Board of Canada (the thing that says they are going to lose $1 billion dollars by 2020). Conflict of interest much?

Not to bash employees here. As I'm all for fair wages. But imho, management should have hired more temp staff. I dont understand how employees can finish their main route in 4-5 hours and then pick up another route for OT. As a company, why can't they hire more seasonal/temp employees so that they don't have to work out the expensive OT wages? I think it's just mismanagement.

Come rain, sleet or snow: A day with a Canada Post mail carrier - The Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/i-know-everything-is-changing-a-day-with-a-canada-post-mail-carrier/article15971797/)


Also, $24 hour to SORT mail indoors? + 7 weeks Vacation? okay, I'll give this employee a break since she's been with the company for a very long time. I dont want a race to the bottom in wages and that people deserve to earn enough to make a decent living. But most would argue that may be a bit excessive for doing something like sorting mail during these economic times.

[RRxtar]

http://i.imgur.com/Nx0Ml8t.jpg

[sekin67835]

It's funny how everyone complains that they are getting paid too much. would you rather have them hire high school dropouts for 10 dollars an hour and mishandle your packages or pay them a decent amount to have your packages arrive in one piece.
Posted via RS Mobile

[BoostedBB6]

It's funny how everyone complains that they are getting paid too much. would you rather have them hire high school dropouts for 10 dollars an hour and mishandle your packages or pay them a decent amount to have your packages arrive in one piece.
Posted via RS Mobile


IMO they ARE overpaid for what they do.
The job requires not much more than basic motor skills and ability to read (carrier and sorter)

There are a lot of jobs that require a lot more than this and pay far less.

Its a nice job to have, wages are good, there is a lot of opportunity to make additional income by grabbing more than one route and making OT, plenty of vacation time. The carrier that use to come around at my old job, awesome guy, and he would always tell me he finishes his route in 2-3 hours and gets paid a full day.

As for having "highschool dropuouts" hand out the mail.....sorry, those guys are driving around in Lambo's and Ferrari's or leading one of the worlds largest computer companies..... jkjk.
I don't care where they come from or what they do as long as they do there job. A highschool dropout may do a far better job than a person with a degree because the are thank full for the job and not feeling like they are doing a job that's below them.

[MasonJar]

It's funny how everyone complains that they are getting paid too much. would you rather have them hire high school dropouts for 10 dollars an hour and mishandle your packages or pay them a decent amount to have your packages arrive in one piece.
Posted via RS Mobile

This happens every time there is a thread like this. Jealousy and judgement from those who spent years in school to be paid the same amount as those who did not.

People always want to increase min. wage and say that our wages are not enough to sustain a comfortable life in the Lower Mainland but then judge what others are paid and always claim it is too much.

One of my friends works in a high-end restaurant and walks out with $300 a day in tips on top of her hourly wage. She works 5-6 days a week and brings home about $75k/year. Doing it since high school. She makes more than her sister who is a teacher. Should we all shout "booooooo" and demand less tipping?

[bing]

It's funny how everyone complains that they are getting paid too much. would you rather have them hire high school dropouts for 10 dollars an hour and mishandle your packages or pay them a decent amount to have your packages arrive in one piece.
Posted via RS Mobile

If its anything like the private sector, mistakes are monitored (their called KPI's - key performance indicators and they measure everything from origin on time to origin failure). A "high school dropout" that screwed up all the time wouldn't last. People in the private sector with comparable jobs do the same tasks for significantly less (though I do think they are on the low side). UPS pays their sorters $10.60/hr so it tends to attract students and mom's that would rather earn some money than none (while drivers make like $70k/yr but they are expected to work hard though). Regardless, you can see how much more generous being in a union environment is.

[suzuka84]

Letter carriers provide a certain soft skill to which we can never measure - they help out the old people by doing the rounds everyday (imagine a senior where the kids only come by once a week), they can alert police to grow ops, they bring notice to all the little things you take for granted (someone broke into your home in the morning, they alert police; a pipe burst because of adverse weather conditions, they alert the authorities which prevent further damage until you get home).

We would all love to be paid their salary for a job that requires minimal education but letter carriers perform a task to which I think is absolutely necessary.

[BoostedBB6]

Letter carriers provide a certain soft skill to which we can never measure - they help out the old people by doing the rounds everyday (imagine a senior where the kids only come by once a week), they can alert police to grow ops, they bring notice to all the little things you take for granted (someone broke into your home in the morning, they alert police; a pipe burst because of adverse weather conditions, they alert the authorities which prevent further damage until you get home).

We would all love to be paid their salary for a job that requires minimal education but letter carriers perform a task to which I think is absolutely necessary.

That's not part of there job nor can you say all of them if any of them do these things. Therefor this point has nothing to do with there job.
Sure these things are nice, but the world gets by just fine without them.
You could just as easily say this is the job of your nabour.....
Posted via RS Mobile

[MasonJar]

Letter carriers provide a certain soft skill to which we can never measure - they help out the old people by doing the rounds everyday (imagine a senior where the kids only come by once a week), they can alert police to grow ops, they bring notice to all the little things you take for granted (someone broke into your home in the morning, they alert police; a pipe burst because of adverse weather conditions, they alert the authorities which prevent further damage until you get home).



That is just called being a nice human, dude.

[l2_narain]

Do any of you work for the post office or just reading 2nd hand information?

[MG1]

Here we go again...........

Typical RS comments. If you're jelly because doctors get paid too much, teachers get paid too much, construction workers get paid too much, traffic controllers get paid too much, yada, yada, yada.......... my advice - go ahead and take the training and become one yourself. Jeez........ what others get paid is nobody else's business. Even if they are public servants.

People negotiated for those wages, benefits, and working conditions. Garbage truck drivers. You couldn't pay me enough to do what they do day in and day out. If working for Canada Post is so great, then walk a mile (literally) in their shoes. I've worked at so many different jobs over the years. Let me tell you, each one had its challenges.

Some of you need to get a life. I'm not sure if you guys are way too fucking young or if you're just ignorant, or just plain spoiled. I've worked some pretty shitty jobs, man. Life's shitty sometimes and you deal with it. The last thing you should do is whine about other people's situations.

Some of you guys need to spend a month in poverty. Then you'll appreciate everything you have.

[MasonJar]

^^ Amen, brother!

[MG1]

Also, some of you guys need to go back to school and take more English classes.

You spew out shit about how little skill it takes to sort letters and deliver the mail, yet your posts are written at about grade two level.

I'm a former ESL student.........what's your fricken excuse?

[MG1]

One of my friends works in a high-end restaurant and walks out with $300 a day in tips on top of her hourly wage. She works 5-6 days a week and brings home about $75k/year. Doing it since high school. She makes more than her sister who is a teacher. Should we all shout "booooooo" and demand less tipping?

Glad you brought this up.

Chicks, especially hot chicks get so much in tips. Can't blame people, I guess. Now that one of my sons works at a restaurant (back of the house), I make it a point, whenever I go out to eat at a restaurant, to ask if the tips are shared with everybody. If I like the food, I will tip more........... I don't care if chick/server has nice legs, smile, or nice cleavage, not in any particular order, btw, I won't tip much unless the food is good and the tip is shared with everybody else.

Now, having said that, in my younger days, tits and ass always got more tips, LOLOLOLOLOL.

I have friend who is now a teacher, but she used to work at bars and restaurants in her younger days. And, yes, she is smokin' hot! She prefers the teaching job over the higher paying waitress job, because being a teacher, she has a career and of course, the great benefits and retirement package.

Plus, she'll keep earning more as her pay scale rises with each year under her belt. And, she doesn't have to rely on her looks - prancing around in her tight dress to get more money............ time to take a cold shower, LOL.

[MasonJar]

I should point out that although my friend is very good looking, the reason her tips are so high is because the restaurant is high-end and pricey. Dress-code is very specific and not slooty.

[Super Dipper]

Do any of you work for the post office or just reading 2nd hand information?

Letter carrier here, stationed out of victoria.

i wont feed the discussion too much, but i will share a few things and maybe my opinion on this whole situation.

Firstly, we were not made aware of the changes prior to the press conference that was held this past wed morning. We first heard of the changes happening on the radio or from other co workers. In previous years, we had been made aware of and seen other changes occurring within the company, but this latest notice was not brought to our attention before the media release. It was an unfortunate way of hearing about it, but it is what it is.

Secondly, there has been discussion brought up about the ease of the job and the pay scale etc. Everyone has there own opinion about this, but i will offer this. We have a variety of people that are mail carriers, some with lots of post secondary, others with high school, others with nothing. They come from all walks of life. Whatever the case may be, to do this job, you have to have a sense of urgency. You have to be quick on your feet, think logically and be motivated. This is all comes into play when its a torrential downpour outside or if you are walking through the snow. Some may not believe you need book smarts, but you definitely need street smarts.

Regarding the ease of the job. Typical day is 2.5hrs of prep, 3.5-4hrs of delivery, 1hr breaks/lunches. Yes some ppl out there get there routes done earlier/faster and go home and/or pick up extra overtime, but that depends on how hard you want to work. Keep in mind that its the same ppl that rush to finish there routes, that are also broken and complaining about bad backs,legs, hips, shoulders etc.

The delivery portion of the day is the hardest. Foot walkers are usually carrying anywhere from 14-22kg worth of mail for the duration of the delivery. Obviously that varies on the daily volumes. Also we are delivering that through various weather conditions, cold snaps, hot streaks and everything in between. Couple that with walking up and down hills, stairs, apt buildings, it can make for a challenging day, but it can also make for a intense workout, again its all in how you make it.

If you still feel like the job is easy, talk to your local carrier next time you see him on the street and get his opinion on it. Doesn't hurt to ask. most of us are pretty approachable. haha.

I don't have much to comment on with regards to the change from door to door delivery to the community boxes. I have been delivering both methods for quite a while now, and both have there ups and downs from a job and security aspect.

If anything else comes to surface that isn't brought up by the media and adds to the discussion, I will bring it forward.


*edit*
Someone made a comment about the use of taxi's. I'll explain that a little bit.

So most letter carrier depots service a particular region or small demographic. Because we do that, it's not always feasible for the letter carrier to walk out of the depot to start his/her route. So in that case we get taxi'ed out to the start of the route and then get taxi'ed back at the end of the day. By using this mode of transportation, it is actually cheaper to get the carrier out to his route rather than to pay 1 driver for 8hrs to shuttle letter carriers around to their start/stop points. When routes are designed this is taken into consideration and the distance and cost of each fare is calculated at the time of the routes creation.
(I have also worked alongside the route measurement teams to build and design routes from start to finish so I have a little bit background in this area)

[MG1]

Knew you were a carrier from a previous thread. Thanks for your post, btw. It must be hard for you when people spew nonsense in threads like this. You guys have a pretty tough job. Thankless at times. Like bus drivers, you guys have to deal with all kinds of stupidity. At the same time, I think most of you are genuinely nice and take your job seriously.

Also, with you posting in this thread, it reminds people that there are RS members who are postal workers.

It's funny how a lot of RS members hate it when they are unfairly portrayed as a bunch of dumbass streetracers or ricers, yet they're quick to jump on others without thinking.

In any case, the world is what it is........ people just think about themselves and nobody else.

[subordinate]

there's this one girl in West Van that drives the small vans. Every time I've seen her...I've seen her talking to her friend via blue tooth. And that's quite a few times.

Now those Small Van drivers have a sweet gig. Drive door to door.

[Super Dipper]

Knew you were a carrier from a previous thread. Thanks for your post, btw. It must be hard for you when people spew nonsense in threads like this. You guys have a pretty tough job. Thankless at times. Like bus drivers, you guys have to deal with all kinds of stupidity. At the same time, I think most of you are genuinely nice and take your job seriously.

Also, with you posting in this thread, it reminds people that there are RS members who are postal workers.

It's funny how a lot of RS members hate it when they are unfairly portrayed as a bunch of dumbass streetracers or ricers, yet they're quick to jump on others without thinking.

In any case, the world is what it is........ people just think about themselves and nobody else.

The majority of us love our job. I've been with this company for 13 years. 4 of which have been as a letter carrier. I have worked almost every position and every shift imaginable and I have the most amount of fun and taken pride in my job the most while being a carrier. It's hard to verbalize why I feel this way, but I guess it might be because i see an end result to what I do on a daily basis. This time of the year morseo. I work a lot of hours during the holiday season, and yes part of it is selfish and for the money, but I honestly do it BC it feels good to get that bday gift or Xmas present to a house that has been waiting for it. If by delivering a parcel to someone that has been waiting for it, puts a smile on their face and changes their day for the better, than I have done my job.

We all are quick to judge sometimes. Sometimes it's justified, other times it's not. Being in this particular job, the first thing most people say and think is, "I can do that job, it's so easy, all he/she has to do is walk around and put mail in the boxes..."

There were a few with that mentality that were short listed to be hired not too long ago. Needless to say, the majority of the failed to make it through the training, and the select few that we're hired, didn't make it more than few weeks on the road.

[MG1]

^ can you move to the mainland and work the North Burnaby route?

I will leave small gifts on a table outside the house on a daily basis. From what the wife says, it sounds like there's always someone new delivering the mail every week.

[Super Dipper]

If I didn't have a house on the island, I would gladly move over there. I have a lot of friends and family, so the transition wouldn't be too difficult. Lol.

[SSM_DC5]

^ I heard there isn't much movement in terms of transfer from Victoria to metro Vancouver. Just a growing wait list.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Traum]

Food for thought:

Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra is a board member of the think-tank that urged mail changes | National Post (http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/12/canada-post-ceo-deepak-chopra-is-a-board-member-of-the-think-tank-that-urged-mail-changes/)

Chopra is paid at the CEO 8 level, meaning he receives between $440,900 and $518,600 a year in salary to head an organization that has nearly two dozen presidents and vice-presidents.

His salary range has been bumped up from the $422,500-to-$497,100 range for his job when he was appointed for a five-year term effective Feb. 1, 2011, according to the cabinet order that appointed him.

Along with Chopra as president and CEO, Canada Post has two “group presidents,” seven senior vice-presidents and 12 vice-presidents, according to the management team listed on the Crown corporation’s website.
Hmm... How many presidents, SVP's, and VP's do we need to run a national mail service? And why are we only cutting the front line serviceman while leaving all the upper management intact?

[Jmac]

Love all the typical RS retards who can't spell or compose a coherent paragraph expecting everyone (except themselves, of course) to live in fucking poverty.

These are the same retards who say things like, "An E46 M3 isn't even worth worrying about crashing it" because they're apparently balling out of control and an M3 is nothing but a cheap toy to them.

Shut the fuck up.

[MG1]

Think Tank......... every time I hear those words, I crack up.


Right up there with "sperm bank." Hey, that rhymes.......... I'm a poet and I didn't even know it. LOLOLOLOLOL

[BoostedBB6]

Here we go again...........

Typical RS comments. If you're jelly because doctors get paid too much, teachers get paid too much, construction workers get paid too much, traffic controllers get paid too much, yada, yada, yada.......... my advice - go ahead and take the training and become one yourself. Jeez........ what others get paid is nobody else's business. Even if they are public servants.

People negotiated for those wages, benefits, and working conditions. Garbage truck drivers. You couldn't pay me enough to do what they do day in and day out. If working for Canada Post is so great, then walk a mile (literally) in their shoes. I've worked at so many different jobs over the years. Let me tell you, each one had its challenges.

Some of you need to get a life. I'm not sure if you guys are way too fucking young or if you're just ignorant, or just plain spoiled. I've worked some pretty shitty jobs, man. Life's shitty sometimes and you deal with it. The last thing you should do is whine about other people's situations.

Some of you guys need to spend a month in poverty. Then you'll appreciate everything you have.

My comment (not complaint) about pay is based upon the fact that it does not take education to hand out papers (not that much). It is a service that is needed, which can reflect some level of being worth more but it just does not make sense IMO.
I don't care what they make, I make enough to keep my family happy and that's all I care about, but the topic is here and I voiced my opinion about it.

[Hondaracer]

regardless of what you think, clearly these cuts are all about $$$ and specifically cutting back pensions of the people they will be laying off

therefore the government itself is thinking that an over payment is going on or this would not be happening.

it's the exact same reason why they are pushing for Beer/wine stores inside food stores etc. privatize the shit out of the public sector and claw back as many pensions as they can

The government is seeing the plague that is coming with an aging population of public sector workers raking in insane pension plans. It doesn't make much sense that people who worked as hard if not harder throughout their lives, had a better education, generated more profit for their employers, etc, etc, etc end up eating cat food when they retire while someone who bags beer at the liquor store lives it up with a publicly funded pension.

And yea, obviously the private sector worker probably should have planned better, but thats not reality these days, and the people eating the cat food are costing the government more money than the well off pensioner, balance has to come back into view.

[BoostedBB6]

regardless of what you think, clearly these cuts are all about $$$ and specifically cutting back pensions of the people they will be laying off

therefore the government itself is thinking that an over payment is going on or this would not be happening.

Regardless of what ANYONE thinks regarding pay, this is going to effect a lot of people. All the postal people I have ever dealt with were all very nice people and I don't like the fact that many of them may be loosing there jobs.

I have always enjoyed seeing our mail carrier, always in a good mood, often times had jokes and stuff. Awesome guy and to think that he would loose the job because of cuts just makes me feels :(

[Hondaracer]

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree they are on the same level as bus drivers in providing a service that others may not want to or not feel comfortable doing and probably do deserve the wage they make. However, like I said I think it's more about the pensions than anything
Posted via RS Mobile

[iEatClams]

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree they are on the same level as bus drivers in providing a service that others may not want to or not feel comfortable doing and probably do deserve the wage they make. However, like I said I think it's more about the pensions than anything
Posted via RS Mobile

The pensions for most government workers are usually a percentage % of their wages (pensionable earnings) and how long they have worked there. For the 70,000 employees that the company has, this unfunded liability means that taxpayers will be paying for this for many years down the road.

Again, as a caveat, from the history of my posts, I'm usually more left leaning and not anti-union and such, and I don't want everyone else to "live in poverty" but even I have to agree that some of the workers (data entry admin staff, mail sorting clerks) have 30+ vacation days along with awesome pensions) that are way above the market and unsustainable.

Personally, I don't think it's fair that private-sector employees have to pay for pensions and benefits that they don't get themselves.

PS, I think most corporations are fcking us all and private-sector employees have to work harder than before with less pay and benefits. Just the way things are going with global warming.

[iEatClams]

^ I think the way pensions work, it should be defined contribution where the individual is responsible for how it turns out, and this will avoid any unfunded liability issues in the future. Pensions should be something the individual saves on their own.

[Traum]

If I am not mistaken, the majority of public sector / government employee's pension is not a government liability -- at least not beyond the sense of employer contribution amounts. The asset-to-liability ratio is generally quite close to 1, meaning that any surpluses or unfunded liabilities are quite small. If a surplus is maintained, there is little pressure to increase member contribution amounts. If unfunded liabilities are found, the pension management corp take measures to reduce that unfunded liability, usually in the form of increasing contribution amounts. From what I know, unfunded liabilities are generally kept below 3% of the total liabilities, and I seem to recall that there are laws mandating how unfunded liabilities cannot exceed a certain and relatively low percentage.

But that is only the public sector / government employee pensions, and they are generally considered to be the gold standard. I do not know how non-public pensions work, and I suspect their requirements are probably not nearly as high as the public sector pensions.

[Traum]

Came upon this article on Rabble:

Canada Post is not on life support, it is being murdered | rabble.ca (http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/views-expressed/2013/12/canada-post-not-on-life-support-it-being-murdered)

I am not sure if I agree with many of the views and guesses expressed in the article, but I would assume that at a minimum, the facts listed in there are correct. Specifically, the Canada Post pension plan solvency deficit of $6.5B should be true, and the crown corp has almost always been turning a profit.

And that brings us to the question -- if Canada Post is operating in a healthy financial state, what reason does the government (or the Canada Post CEO) has to bring in such a drastic measure and end door-to-door delivery? The only reason they cited in the first place was a need to save money. When the crown corp has been making a reasonable profit, what need is there to slash service?

[Coren]

They want to make it look like its losing a lot of money so they can privatize it. After it happens, they'll be making unprecedented profits and rake in huge money

[Traum]

Fxxk this Canada Post cancelled delivery shxt. The whole scheme is clearly fxxked up, especially right at the very top:

Canada Post's Deepak Chopra says seniors want exercise from picking up mail - Politics - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-post-s-deepak-chopra-says-seniors-want-exercise-from-picking-up-mail-1.2469061)

[Coren]

conversion put on hold

Canada Post is suspending the conversion of door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes.

In a news release issued late Monday, Canada Post spokeswoman Anick Losier said the corporation will work "collaboratively" with the government of Canada to determine the best path forward given the challenges in the postal system.

"Efforts are now underway to place the comprehensive program on hold in an orderly fashion," Losier said in the release. "This involves roughly 460,000 addresses across the country which are currently in the process to be converted to community mailboxes."

Outgoing Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, whose portfolio includes Canada Post, said the corporation makes decisions independent of government.

'Arm's-length Crown corporation'

"They are an arm's-length Crown corporation and take their own operational decisions," Raitt told CBC News. "But they also have a statutory obligation to operate self-sufficiently, and if they are not then I expect they will be held accountable."

Canadian Union of Postal Workers national president Mike Palecek said members are "ecstatic" about the news.

"We've been fighting this campaign for a year and a half, and we're glad they finally put a halt to this disastrous program," he told CBC News. "It's time to talk about the future of Canada Post, about restoring service to those who have lost it, and about having a public mandate review of Canada Post so we can look at alternatives to these cuts."

Palecek said Canada Post should be looking at expanding services, such as having banking and financial services in post offices. He said it appears that the incoming Liberal government is following up on an election campaign promise to put an immediate moratorium on the cuts and to carry out a study.

The Liberal platform promised to ensure "high quality service at a reasonable price to Canadians, no matter where they live."

"We succeeded in making this a major election issue and making sure that people understood exactly who it was and is to blame, and that's Stephen Harper and the Conservative government," Palecek said. "I think the Canadian public spoke loudly and clearly last week by changing the government."

Palecek said the CUPW will keep up pressure to restore delivery to the roughly one million addresses that have been converted to community mailbox service since the program began 10 months ago.

The Liberal Party declined to comment on the Canada Post announcement.
Canada Post halts controversial community mailbox program - Politics - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-post-community-mailbox-1.3289647)

[l2_narain]

Canada Post is going the attrition route to reduce their workforce. They are getting rid of their 'surge causal' pool, and only filling more PT (from the FT/casual pool) and less FT. They are also reducing the number of hours people can work (ie. Causal/PT shift was 6 hours; now 4).

The PT positions have a schedule while the casual pool do not have a schedule but must accept over 50% of the call out period to maintain their status. The casual do not have raises unless the collective agreement allows them to. They are also not allowed to receive OT. The corporation reported loses over the last couple of quarters to give no wiggle room for negotiations with the union.

I don't think they are going to strike in February since the union seems to be okay with this and the only people getting screwed over is the causal pool.

[Mr.HappySilp]

I wish the delivery service here can be as good as in China. Basically you order something it gets ship to you within days. Also the delivery guy calls you before they are coming and if you are not at home they either come back later or you can pick up the package at their office. Since Online shopping is so popular in China there are literally postal office every few blocks. Also you can ship pretty much anything (even fruits, veggies, snacks, eggs). And most of the online stores don't charge shipping fees.

[Super Dipper]

Canada Post is going the attrition route to reduce their workforce. They are getting rid of their 'surge causal' pool, and only filling more PT (from the FT/casual pool) and less FT. They are also reducing the number of hours people can work (ie. Causal/PT shift was 6 hours; now 4).

The PT positions have a schedule while the casual pool do not have a schedule but must accept over 50% of the call out period to maintain their status. The casual do not have raises unless the collective agreement allows them to. They are also not allowed to receive OT. The corporation reported loses over the last couple of quarters to give no wiggle room for negotiations with the union.

I don't think they are going to strike in February since the union seems to be okay with this and the only people getting screwed over is the causal pool.

Casual hires have not been haulted. In fact, it's the exact opposite. They are hiring more casual or temp employees so they don't have to fill part time and full time vacancies.

Casual employees are entitled to overtime. They need to fulfill there extended hours and should there be no full time employees available or interested in doing the work, the ot can be offered to the casuals.

Group 2 cupw members (letter carriers, msc drivers etc) are entitled to ot should they work past the regular 8hr day. The rules are slightly different for group 1 workers (inside ops) but still can be eligible.

Also temp employees need to commit to 5week blocks of work at a time. That falls under group 2 workers. I can't remember the rules for group 1, but similar rules apply.

And with all union workplaces, there is always the chance of specific union locals making there own local agreements which can then change everything, lol.

Where did you happen to get your information? Just curious.