Time for a moratorium on Canada Post's self-serve mailboxes in London

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Once again Canada Post will deny our community face to face consultation as it announces that they will not send a representative at the upcoming London Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee on August 31 at City Hall, where this item is on the 4:00pm agenda. This arrogant pattern is becoming familiar as we see the Conservative Party also adopting the same duck-and-hide tactics, while avoiding meaningful consultation with communities. "Canada Post claims it is 'following its process' in London, but their process doesn't seem to include any public discussion, answering community questions and concerns, or even showing up to meeting as they promised in March they would do before beginning any new mailbox installations." comments Wendy Goldsmith.

Disappointed by Canada Post's blatant lack of real engagement, Londoners for Door to Door intend to bring strong community voices to the discussion on Monday. Members of Londoners4Door2Door have asked to speak at the upcoming Monday council committee meeting. We will urge City Council to demand a moratorium of the installation of super mailboxes until after the October federal election, and broad, meaningful community consultations. We urge City Council to  make a statement to Canada Post that London City Council opposes the cuts to door to door mail delivery service. We urge London City Council to support efforts being taken by Hamilton and Montreal to defend in court their communities' rights against Canada Post. "This second no-show by Canada Post is a deliberate slap in the face to our City Council." adds David Heap. "The question is, will our Mayor and Councillors just take this corporate disrespect quietly, or will they take action to protect our communities?" 

Contacts:
Wendy Goldsmith  wendygoldsmith21@gmail.com  519 281 3978
David Heap            david.heap@gmail.com              519 859 3579

Take action to help save Door-to-Door mail in London!

Dear supporter of Door-to-Door mail delivery, Thank you for signing a petition, a letter, or a contact list in support of continuing Door-to-Door mail service. And thank you for opposing the imposition of super-mailboxes in our neighbourhoods. Londoners for Door-to-Door is a volunteer community group that recently delivered almost 2900 signatures of support to London's City Hall , and we hope to count on your support again to make sure your message is heard: The Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meets at City Hall on Monday August 31, 4:00pm. Canada Post is once again refusing to send a representative to meet our city councillors, but we want to ensure that our community viewpoints are heard. Here is what you can do to help: Contact your city councillor and the Mayor (find their contact info here). Ask them to: STOP THE INSTALLATIONS! - support a moratorium on the installation of super-mailboxes until after the October election and proper community consultation. Make a statement to Canada Post that London's City Council opposes the cuts to door to door mail service. Support efforts being taken by Hamilton and Montreal to defend their communities' rights against Canada Post in court. Join us at City Hall on Monday August 31, from 4pm in the Gallery, 3rd floor. Facebook users can join, share & re-post this event page. The more presence we have, the better! Visit the new website, Friends of Public Services. Sign their petition, share the website, and spread the Facebook page far and wide! This new grass-roots organization is setting its sights on saving Door-to-Door as its first campaign! Save the date Sept. 6, when the Canadian Union of Postal Workers'cross-Canada save Door-to-Door Caravan rolls into London! We will have a day full of activities and actions to welcome our guests, ending with a street party on Talavera Crescent, the site of our ongoing community presence against self-serve mailboxes! And remember: there is still time to request changes in proposed locations of self-serve mailboxes in your area. See contact and other information here. Londoners for Door to Door http://4door2door.nationbuilder.com/ For Door to Door · Canada You can also keep up with Londoners for Door to Door on Twitter.

Londoners for Door to Door delivers 2867 support signatures to City Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2015. 11 am. London City Hall.

Londoners for Door to Door delivers 2867 support signatures to City Council

Canada Post has been pushing ahead with installation of Self Serve Mail Boxes in several London neighbourhoods, despite a unanimous request from London City Council last month, to stop work until the Crown Corporation comes back to report on community consultations, as they promised to do in March.

Today, City Council hears from constituents about the importance of continuing this valuable and profitable public service. After months of door-to-door canvassing and signature collecting at community events, Londoners For Door to Door delivered petitions and letters to the City Clerk, signed by the many London residents who want this service to be maintained, not just for themselves but for their parents, grandparents, neighbours and friends.
 

"We have heard loudly and clearly from community members that nobody wants Canada Post to impose these Self Serve Mailboxes in our neighbourhoods.  Instead, we want to protect jobs and maintain a public service that makes money for Canadians and provides door-to-door mail delivery.” says Wendy Goldsmith.  “It is unprecedented for a G8 country to propose this kind of mail service cut, all thanks to the Harper Conservatives and their drive for austerity."

Londoners For Door To Door continues to be deeply concerned about the lack of community consultation and the lies that appear to flow freely from the mouths of Canada Post spokespeople.  We strongly believe that this is not a done deal, and that municipalities have an important role to play in regulating what a Crown Corporation can do in our neighbourhoods. "Londoners have not got clear answers from Canada Post on this issue" adds David Heap  "but they do have a clear choice in October's federal election: we can oppose the Harper government's imposition of these service cuts, and support the official opposition which is calling for service to be restored and even extended."

Ward 10 Councillor Virginia Ridley was also present when the petitions were received by the City Clerk's office. The issue is due to come up at the next Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee on August 31. 

Londoners can still request changes to proposed mailbox locations, see contact information posted here.

We encourage all London residents to call and email their city councillors to urge Canada Post to cease and desist with these actions which clearly violate the public will.   

For more information contact:

David Heap 519 859 3579

Wendy Goldsmith 519 281 3978

ACTION: How request changes in proposed locations of self-serve mailboxes in London

Taking Action against Self-Serve Mailbox Installations

Have you received notice from Canada Post that they will be installing a “Community Mail Box” (aka SSMB or Self-Serve Mailbox) near where you live? It is NOT too late to take action.

If you want to put in a “change request” you should contact Canada Post and the City of London and explain why you think the location is problematic (i.e., too close to intersection or trees, will cause traffic/idling problems, inadequate lighting, no sidewalk, or other safety / privacy etc. issues).

City Hall Contacts:

John Braam, City Engineer 519 661-2111 x2391 jbraam@london.ca	Doug Macrae, Transportation Planning & Design 519 661-2111 x4637 dmacrae@london.ca
and also contact your Ward Councillor and the Mayor’s office: http://www.london.ca/city-hall/city-council/Documents/Council-Contact-List.pdf

Canada Post Contacts:

Mr. Andrew Paterson, Municipal Engagement Manager Canada Post Corporation, 955 Highbury Ave, London, ON N5Y 1A3 Phone 519-457-5247  Cell: 519-520-5226 andrew.paterson@canadapost.ca

Peter F. RIBEIRO peterf.ribeiro@canadapost.postescanada.ca 905-215-9388 Tom Zadorsky, Project Manager tom.zadorsky@canadapost.postescanada.ca 519-808-9632

Tell your Federal M.P. to save home mail delivery

            London-Fanshawe:  Irene Mathyssen 519-685-4745 irene.mathyssen@parl.gc.ca

            London West: Ed Holder 519.473.7333 519.473.5955 ed.holder.c1@parl.gc.ca

            London North Centre: Susan Truppe 519-663-9777 Susan.Truppe.C1@parl.gc.ca

Of course, we would prefer not to see any SSMBs at all in our communities, but it is important to use the existing mechanisms as much as possible in the time that we have. Every delay in implementation, every study of moving one location to another brings us closer to the time (Election Day, October 19) when we can begin reverse this wrong-headed plan.  

You can check the proposed locations on this map or on these postal-code lists. Download this information sheet here.

Conservative MP Susan Truppe Does Not Do Her Homework re Canada Post

Last week Conservative MP Susan Truppe misinformed CTV News when she stated “As you know Canada Post has been losing funding for many years” and “This is not a Government issue this is a Canada Post issue”.

Susan Truppe has obviously not done her homework. The Canada Post website annual reports show that Canada Post has made incredible profits for 18 out of 20 years. In 2014 Canada Post made a profit of 194 million dollars. In fact Canada Post is not funded and does not rely on public tax dollars to deliver Canada’s mail. Canada Post has returned nearly 2 billion dollars in profits to the Canadian people over the past 20 years. Canada Post has only lost money in two of those years. One of those years being when they locked out workers in 2011. Canada Post is a public sector success story.

Susan Truppe’s claim that this is not a government issue is contradicted by her actions in January 2014, when she along with all Conservative MPs voted against the NDP motion to maintain the Public service owned by every Canadian Citizen. Susan Truppe along with her fellow Conservative MPs stood up and applauded when they defeated the NDP motion.

Canadians who have spoken to us on their doorsteps have made it very clear that they are opposed to these cuts yet both Susan Truppe and Ed Holder refused to attend the town hall meetings that were held in their ridings. Ed Holder made it very clear that he would not listen to his constituents on this matter when we met with him. Susan Truppe has not responded to our request to meet to discuss this matter.

The Liberals and NDP have put forward their position on Canada Post’s 5 point plan. This is very much an election issue but Susan Truppe is trying to run from it because it will cost her and other Conservative MPs votes. While Canada Post and the Conservatives dwell on declining letter mail volumes they neglect to mention the ongoing profits due to the changing products and record levels of parcels.

Canadians are furious about losing their door to door delivery and are further outraged by Susan’s misleading statements.

The loss of door to door delivery is part of a broader election issue which is the Conservative’s ultimate goal to sell off all public services to their huge profit based corporate friends.

Clearly the actions of London constituents resisting installation of CMB sites illustrate their dissatisfaction with Member of Parliament Susan Truppe and the Conservative Government.

Not only is this an election issue, it is an election issue created by the Conservative Government. 

Dean Woronoski

Local President

London Local 566

#3 920 Leathorne St

London Ontario N5Z 3M5

Tel: 519-672-4417

Cell: 519-476-6208