Sand in the Shorts: Solidarity, or Suicide Pact?

This column appeared in the Intelligencer on June 4, 2011

Apparently, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is about to grace Canadians with a6nother strike.

Now, I should first say that all Canadians ought to be appreciative of our postal workers. Unlike in the U.S., where “going postal” generally involves an automatic weapon and mass bloodshed, “going postal” here is simply a synonym for slower than molasses in January.

But returning to the news at hand, this strike is apparently motivated by a raise in base pay from $18 per hour to $19 per hour, and a mechanization process that hasn't resulted in the layoffs of any workers. When you hear about a situation like that, you can understand the posties' plight. What Canadian earning $12 an hour in a call-centre, trying to pay the mortgage while operating a small business, or wondering what they'll do to pay for their retirement wouldn't be sympathetic.

Truly, CUPW is a union on the front lines of the battle to protect employee rights. I'm sure union president Denis Lemelin sees himself as a true successor to Cesar Chavez. At least when he's not busy involving the union in Gaza blockade running and otherwise wasting union member's dues on matters with no relationship to their welfare. Robert B. Russell would be proud.

And what will this mean for Canadians? Well, that depends on where they live, as some provinces, including Ontario, will still have government cheques delivered, while other provinces are making arrangements for these to be picked up at local offices. Governments will also, along with businesses, likely look to various courier and delivery services. And email will likely become even more prevalent than it already is. Junk mail will probably be delivered by local newspapers.

Wait – but wouldn't that mean the postal service is becoming even less important to Canadians as a whole?

It is, and what a postal strike really should mean for Canada is an opportunity to end the obsolete monopoly that Canada Post has on mail delivery, and to privatize the post office.

In an era of increasing reliance on electronic transfer of documents, and where many of the traditional barriers to delivery which made government owned and operated delivery a necessity have been removed, there simply is no place for an old style government run monopoly such as Canada Post in it's current form. As well, privatization would force CUPW to become a little more realistic in it's demands, as they couldn't simply expect that postal rates could be raised to pay for whatever exorbitant demands they come up with next.

It should be pointed out that removing the monopoly and privatizing Canada Post is not a simple matter. Part of the problem is involved with Canada's geography – the area covered by Canada Post is the largest of any postal service in the world. Any process would have to take into account the need to maintain service to remote areas of the Canada – either through variable mail costs or some other option. This is one justification for the monopoly – the idea that mail sent in more populous areas is more expensive to pay for mail sent to more dispersed populations. But it is not beyond the realm of the reasonable to suggest that mail rates be linked to the actual delivery distances involved.

But the fact it would be a complex undertaking shouldn't prevent the privatization of Canada and the end of it's monopoly on light letter delivery. Throughout history, the reach to accomplish difficult tasks has benefited society. And if nothing else, it will mean Denis Lemelin will have to get a real job - and stop sponging off postal workers and irritating Canadians in general.