Good morning. I'm Lynda Lefrancois. I am the president of the Yellowknife local of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. I've worked for Canada Post for almost 22 years.
I've seen many changes over the last 22 years. The union is not opposed to change and growth. What we question is Canada Post's focus on profit at the expense of providing service to the people of Canada.
Canada Post is a public service. Its mandate is to be self-sustaining. Canada Post is ignoring the employees' input into achieving this goal.
Canada Post is a service—a highly profitable service that almost all Canadians have used and need. It is used from coast to coast to coast. Here, in the vast north, Canada Post is a lifeline. We depend on postal service more than many other places in Canada do. It is a service that is required for business and needed for everyday living. We dispatch mail and parcels every day to the northern communities. I have personally dispatched 4,500 pounds in one day. That's over two tonnes of mail. That was during the summer, not during the Christmas rush. More mail comes into the north from the rest of Canada than the north sends out.
Revenues are needed to sustain any business. Since we are in these communities, why don't we expand our service? We can provide customers with services that aren't available to them or improve the services.
The question of closing corporate offices has been raised. When this happens, it is devastating to the employees and the communities. There is a big difference between a corporate office and a franchise retail outlet. One difference is our training, knowledge, and experience. A Canada Post employee usually is a lifetime employee. Franchises experience a high rate of employee turnover, which affects service.
At a corporate office, we educate and inform our customers so that they can choose what service best meets their needs. My 15-year experience as a retail clerk has taught me that if you give the customers the best value for their hard-earned dollar, they will be back. At a corporate office, we don't just sell the highest-priced product or service. From my experience, the private franchises don't inform their customers of the range of options and sell them the most expensive product.
Seniors and those with disabilities who find it too difficult to use franchise outlets need corporate offices. Because of our years of experience and knowledge, we can assist them and provide them with quality service. We know our customers and anticipate their needs. Because of this, not only do we generate repeat revenue, but we also help them keep their independence.
In my office, we have a much larger retail space than the franchise outlets, whose counters are stuck somewhere in the back corner of the store. Why are we not utilizing this space to expand services and generate more revenue? There are a lot of services not readily available in northern communities that the post office could easily provide.
For example, let local artisans display and sell their wares. We are already helping the tourist industry by giving directions. Why not partner up with other businesses and sell tickets to events, shows, and tours?
The post office is a public space, so utilize it. Let us offer other government services to fill the needs of the communities. Why not expand our identity verification service to federal and provincial governments and to businesses?
In most places, the post office is in the centre of the town, so why not make it the community hub?
There are other possibilities for service expansion. Why can't Canada Post offer a service to help people move their household? There is great potential to provide this service to families, those working away from home, and students. I have seen the opportunities for this service with my own customers.
Canada Post has been self-sustaining, year after year, and always making a good profit. It is time to take these profits and reinvest them in new services that will generate revenue. It is time to bring back services such as the food mail program and postal banking, which will greatly help the people of our northern communities. It is time to provide services such as broadband Internet, which will help connect isolated communities with the world.
This will not only let Canada Post retain its long-treasured service but allow it to grow and thrive. All Canadians will reap the benefits.
I wish I could cover more important issues, but it's not possible in this short time.
I thank the committee for your time and consideration, and I urge you to please give these issues the attention they deserve.