Canada Post retorted Friday that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers should rename its “Operation Transparency” campaign to “Operation Honesty” and be honest about the company's openness involving its planned closure of the Quebec City letter processing plant.
CUPW began the campaign Wednesday, as union president Deborah Bourque asked Canada Post president/CEO Moya Greene to disclose the company's plans to restructure the country's postal processing system by May 15. The union suggested that its effort would include “non-violent civil disobedience” and “search and seizure” tactics, citing civil rights causes as a source of inspiration.
The union said the campaign was developed after Canada Post announced with little consultation last summer that it would close its mail sorting plant in Quebec City and review its entire network of post offices and plants. More than 800 municipalities, 130,000 petitioners, thousands of postal workers and many Parliament members expressed concern about plans to dismantle other postal facilities.
Canada Post said Friday that it had shared details about its plans for Quebec City more than two years in advance with the union and the public. The postal company said it has met with CUPW, its largest union, more than a dozen times since the initial announcement, and that no employees will lose their job from the closing.
Canada Post said it objected to comparing the closure of the Quebec City plant with social justice movements, given the excellent job security, pay, pension and benefits afforded to employees.
In February, arbitrator Guy Dulude ordered the “suspension and postponement” of any further action toward the closure of the plant, to occur by the end of 2007. The arbitration was in response to a grievance filed by the CUPW. Dulude ruled that Canada Post violated postal workers' collective agreement by not releasing adequate information or consulting with the union about the Quebec City closure.
