The Canadian public, Allies and Canada Post Employees can submit a letter to the Industrial Inquiry Commission
Submitting a Letter to the Industrial Inquiry Commission
As part of his review of the current bargaining dispute between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) under section 108 of the Canada Labour Code, Commissioner William Kaplan is accepting written submissions from third parties and the public.
Because Canada Post is a publicly owned Crown Corporation providing a universal service across the country, we all have a stake in this process. Although time is limited, members of the public need to make sure their voices are heard, and that Commissioner Kaplan considers their perspectives in his recommendations about the future of the public post office.
The Commissioner will review Canada Post’s financial situation, the possible diversification or alteration of delivery models, Canada Post’s viability as it is currently configured, as well as bargaining issues, including full-time employment, health and safety, and job security. The Commission’s report is due no later than May 15, 2025.
Recommendations may include “amendments to the collective agreement, and any other changes to be implemented, including the structures, rights and responsibilities of the parties in the collective bargaining process.”
Submissions are due FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025
They can be emailed to: edsc.cdi-iic.esdc@labour-travail.gc.ca
As an extra precaution when sending in a submission, please cc: samuel@williamkaplan.com on your email to the IIC.
PLEASE NOTE: ALL submissions the Commission receives will be shared with both Canada Post and the Union. Submissions are not private or confidential.
To help you write a submission to Commissioner Kaplan, CUPW has drafted templates, which you will find below.
Sample Submissions
Dear Commissioner Kaplan,
My name is […], and I am a retired schoolteacher from Ottawa, Ontario. I am a longtime advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities, and I am active in my neighbourhood’s chapter of the Movement.
I am writing to urge you to make recommendations that will ensure Canada Post takes seriously its obligations to provide fair and equitable service to all Canadians, particularly for those living with a disability. Canadians living with a disability have been disproportionately impacted by Canada Post’s 2013 decision to expand the use of Community Mailboxes at the expense of door-to-door delivery. For most Canadians, a short walk to the mailbox is not an issue. But for Canadians living with a disability like me, the challenge can be severe. My balance is very poor, so getting my mail from my slot at the bottom of the CMB is very difficult. In the past, I have fallen over and hurt myself.
Unfortunately, Canada Post’s “Delivery Accommodation” program leaves much to be desired. I have filled in my paperwork and provided the requested documentation. But Canada Post informed me that although I qualified for the program, I would only receive mail once per week to my door. As a retiree dependent on regular cheques and notices coming in the mail, receiving my mail once a week is simply not enough. It is simply not fair that I should receive limited service, just because I live with a disability.
Canada Post must provide fair and equitable service to all Canadians. In your report, I urge you to consider the rights and needs of Canadians living with a disability and recommend daily, door-to-door delivery be restored to all Canadians, like me, who need it.
Sincerely,
Your name here
Dear Commissioner Kaplan,
My name is (your name here), and I am a letter carrier from Ottawa, Ontario. I have been working for Canada Post since September 5, 2000, and I take pride in working for a public service.
As a longtime postal worker, I am writing to urge you to make recommendations that will ensure Canada Post takes seriously its obligations to protect the health and safety of its employees. In my nearly 25 years at the post office, I can tell you the job of a letter carrier has never been more physically demanding than it is now.
Over the last 15 years, letter carriers’ jobs have been completely transformed. My work is nothing like it was when I first started. With every effort it takes to boost worker productivity, Canada Post has consistently sacrificed worker health and safety. My depot has recently made the switch to a new work method called “Separate Sort from Delivery,” or SSD. Management says SSD is about accommodating more parcels, but it is clear workers’ health was an afterthought at best. Under SSD, I am now out on the street 8+ hours day, going up and down stairs, walking 20+km with a heavy load on my shoulders. By the end of the day, I’m physically and mentally exhausted.
There are simple fixes to SSD that Canada Post has so far refused to implement. For example, giving letter carriers just a little bit of time to combine their “sequenced” and “non-sequenced” mail into one bundle would go a long way in taking the pressure off. Beyond that, making sure carriers don’t have late start times will ensure carriers a far better work-life balance and allow them to take care of their responsibilities off the job.
Canada Post’s health and safety record is severely lacking. Too many of my co-workers are bearing the cost. In closing, I urge you to make recommendations that ensure Canada Post will not sacrifice its obligations to protect workers’ health in the name of enhanced productivity.
Sincerely,
Your name here