Watch the video above: Local postal workers rally at MP’s office
SASKATOON – A small group of Saskatoon postal workers spoke out Wednesday adding their voices to a larger outcry taking place across Canada.
It’s in response to changes announced by Canada Post last week and the local group is hoping their efforts don’t come too little, too late.
Postal workers stormed the Saskatoon office of Member of Parliament Lynne Yelich Wednesday in Sasktoon.
Canada Post announced last week it would be upping the price of a stamp and cutting door to door mail delivery – essentially eliminating postal worker jobs.
“I’ve been with Canada Post for 15 years,” said postal worker Brandy Samulak.
The group hoped to express its concerns to Yelich to pass along to the Federal Minister responsible, Lisa Raitt.
Minister Yelich is gone until the beginning of January. Her office has agreed to arrange a meeting between the group and the minister once she returns to the country.
But the group will have to work fast. The changes will be rolled out over five years, beginning in 2014.
Thousands of protestors across the country rallied in sync with the arrival of 12,000 post cards from postal workers for Minister Raitt.
The CEO of Canada Post, Deepak Chopra, sat in the hot seat at a hastily called commons committee meeting taking pointed questions from opposition MP’s.
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Chopra says consultations were held in 46 communities and online.
The decision was made in an attempt to save money and make Canada Post a viable entity.
Workers in Saskatoon say there are other options that should be explored.
“For example. financial institutions. They’re successful across the world actually, Italy, Japan. This wasn’t even looked at,” said Samulak.
The Saskatoon group says it will continue to rally and hopes citizens contact their MPs, especially seniors and the physically disabled who are expected to be most affected by the changes.
“It’s not a done deal yet,” said Samulak.
Under the proposed changes, between 6,000 and 8,000 jobs would be phased out.
The company says many of those would be the positions of people retiring in the coming years.
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