Government Operations committee  Whether you change the leadership at Canada Post or not will be a decision of the sole shareholder, the government. However, it's a sad day when the employees and the union believe more in the company than the people who direct it. It will be up to the shareholder, but it would be nice to have people who actually believe that Canada Post can succeed.

Government Operations committee  It's an interesting situation. I don't know how it will play out, but certainly if there are areas where it is possible to get more revenue, we believe they should be directly integrated into Canada Post. That's very much feasible. It's an interesting situation, but again, it will necessitate an analysis by the shareholder to see how that plays out, and to the ultimate result of a Canada Post....

Government Operations committee  You are absolutely right: for years, CUPW has been suggesting that Canada Post extend business hours so that the public can go to post offices. The corporation has persisted and still claims that it is day customers who will go to the post office in the evening, which is false. Customers go to the post office to the extent that business hours suit their schedules.

Government Operations committee  Earlier I talked about parcel delivery on weekends, mornings, and evenings. With regard to business hours, it is important to note that, in 2003, the union allowed Canada Post to use part-time staff at postal outlets, precisely in order to extend business hours into evenings and weekends.

Government Operations committee  It's amazing.

Government Operations committee  It's actually amazing that they took the numbers, because the history of the numbers doesn't add up to what they put forward, even for this year. How do you arrive in your forecast at a $63-million loss for this year, when the first two quarters are the best ever since 2010? I mean, we can predict high profits for this year.

Government Operations committee  Yes. Look at the Conference Board report and the actual results of Canada Post, look at the predictions, and match those numbers throughout the years. Over five years it's a difference of $1.3 billion that they underestimated in their finances to justify the CMBs, the community mailboxes.

Government Operations committee  One of the major objectives put forward by Canada Post was to beat the competition. Delivery would therefore be spread over six days, potentially over seven, but using a part-time workforce since there was not yet enough work. That is why the corporation considered the possibility of starting off with a temporary structure in order to earn revenue during weekends.

Government Operations committee  Absolutely. It is unfortunate because you will be receiving the 2016 financial report from Canada Post in March or April, when you have in fact completed your proceedings. As I say, that is unfortunate.

Government Operations committee  Our members have already entered the digital era. They are already conducting financial transactions in post offices, whether it be cash transfers, sales of products, and so on. True, additional training will be needed in certain fields. I personally have been at Canada Post for 38 years, and I have confidence in the abilities of the corporation's employees.

Government Operations committee  I'd just like to say that they are not my numbers.

Government Operations committee  They are the actual results from the 2014 financial report of Canada Post. In what they estimated would be the deficit for 2014 versus what they actually accomplished, there is a difference of $550 million, yes.

Government Operations committee  Yes, and it starts on the premise that this year we'll have a deficit of about $63 million. If you look at the real numbers this year for the first two quarters, Canada Post has made $45 million, the two best quarters since they started reporting quarterly reports in 2010. This year promises to be a very profitable year for Canada Post seeing as the biggest season is ahead.

Government Operations committee  That is unfortunate, but I will go even further. There is literally a disinformation campaign going on among the orders of government with regard to both employees and the public. Canada Post commissioned a study. I honestly believe it is a bogus study, given the figures and forecasts it contains. 2011 was really an unusual year in view of the fact that we are talking about the pay equity file and a single payment to the pension plan.

Government Operations committee  Good morning. My name is Sylvain Lapointe, and I am a member of the national executive committee of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. I was also chief negotiator in the last bargaining round that has just been completed. We are now preparing to go and see our members in order to ratify the two collective agreements, for the urban unit and the rural unit.