SASKATOON – Saskatchewan postmasters and assistants have two important items on their agenda for 1994.
They want a continuance on a moratorium on post office closures and adequate time devoted to a comprehensive review of Canada Post’s rural conversion plans.
Leslie Schous, of Hodgeville, president of the Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association, is optimistic the moratorium will be extended until at least the middle of this month. The new government put the stop action in place in mid-November to last until mid-December while starting the review process.
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“We’re hoping for a real good review of Canada Post’s operations,” said Schous. “As far as our national office is concerned, the review is still going on. Hopefully, it will be extended for long enough to do the job properly.”
Members have been busy lobbying their local M.P.s and promise to keep up those efforts.
During the election campaign the Liberal Party voiced it’s support of both rural and urban post offices. A letter to the post-masters association national president this summer said a Liberal government would support a moratorium and complete review. The letter was signed by Jean ChrŽtien.
Schous and her other provincial counter-parts did some lobbying during a board meeting in Ottawa in December.
“We feel quite positive at this time,”said Schous. The MPs seem to be listening “hopefully with both ears.”
Schous said the national post masters and assistants association is keeping in touch with David Dingwall, the cabinet minister in charge of the moratorium and review.
Canada Post’s rural conversion plan has resulted in the closure of 1,487 of 5,200 rural post offices in Canada since 1985, resulting in a loss of over $5 million in wages for people working in the offices. At present, 80 post offices are under review of their services.
