I have known about the consultation for the future of Canada Post for a while now. I felt; “Why should I speak, I had nothing to say, the union had said it all: Return to home to home delivery, postal expansion into more areas of delivery like groceries and the much hyped postal banking.” I had nothing to add to that. That is, until now. So the question being, what do you foresee as the future of Canada Post? I reply with my own question; will there even be a future for Canada Post?

To wit, let us exam this issue. The Minister, Judy Foote has asked Canada Post to explore service expansion. The union is more than willing to do that including pushing for the return of postal banking, and yet the corporation does nothing. Thus leaving what could be a large new area for the future and future business left wanting. So I ask why?

The union want to negotiate a new contract. The government wants this matter settled as well! Yet the corporation refuses to come to the negotiation table. Giving one and only one offer then saying they are done. This is not negotiating under anyone definition. “Take it or leave it;” is not an opening gambit for a resolution. The result is for customer business to lose confidence in the corporation, seek other providers and general hurt the business all around by their own action or inaction on senior management. Again I must ask why?

Why would a business deny expansion when it can easily do so.?

Why would it sabotage its already existing business?

Why would it alienate a work force that is nothing but professional?

Why indeed?

When the Conservative Government took over under Brian Mulroney, they expect that the public servants, so long working for the previous liberal governments would hesitate to bring in conservative legislation or fulfill their goals. So to make sure their policies were respected, they created a number of positions staffed by hand pick conservatives to watch over the process and make sure the government will was respected. In the end, it was found they were not needed. The public servants of Canada respected the will of the people and followed through on the government will. Yet the present day, clear government will, to expand postal services and settle this contract, is not being respected? I again ask why? By what right or obligation would public servants disobey in spirit if not in action their role to follow government directives? What outside Ideology or influence is so powerful that it would call them to their higher authority then their oath of office?  And that is where it hit me.

The Neo Conservatives in the USA have their own right wing. The right wing has a right wing making it even more right wing than normal. They call themselves the Tea Party. Their philosophy is that all government is bad, and anything that is good for business interests is good. No matter if it hurts the interest of the working class.

If we put this all together we can begin to see a pattern.

 

Expanding the government is verboten; opening up postal banking would hurt private banks, and pay day loans, also Forbidden. Having a happy productive work force is not necessary. In fact, the more unhappy, the more likely people are to quit and thus one less person on the government workforce, making government that much smaller. In sum, Canada Post is acting as if under the control of a group of right wing ideologies with Tea Party sympathies, if not outright allegiances. Their goal is to ruin Canada Post for future generation by destroying it from the inside at every step.

The solution, radical for North America perhaps, but also tried and true for Europe is a new direction must be called for and this includes new blood in the executive suit. Many European countries have created corporation laws where the union is not the enemy but on the board itself. Called Codetermination, it is in part the law in such countries as Germany, Austria and Switzerland. By including the workers and their representatives, there is less strife and more harmony. Both sides work together to make the company the best it can be.

If there is to be a future for Canada Post, it needs to enter the 21 century with a new governing body to oversee the place, made up with progressive thinkers and including the union in the same way they do it in Europe. This body would be in charge of oversight on the day to day running of Canada Post. And most importantly, it would be able to explore a growing future for change that includes all stakeholders. Rather than the stagnant, Tea Party, out for destruction, unwilling to change body we have now in upper management. If there is to be a future of Canada post, we need to secure it now, with the right sort of people inside the institution able to foster change but also willing to be a part of change as well.