Dear Editor:
Needless to say after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers presented to Yorkton city council this past Monday, May 15th, 2017, there was a great deal of frustration. Yorkton city council elected to take the information presented and file it. Not accepting CUPW’s request to send a letter to Minister Foote in support of the Government appointed standing committee on government operations recommendations to reinstate Door to door delivery in communities that lost it post August 2015. Additionally, the committee recommended a continued
Moratorium on the closure of post offices and conversations to community mail boxes.
City council appeared to agree with many of the points made by CUPW with regards to injuries and the impact to seniors and those suffering with mobility issues. Council also had no questions of the CUPW representatives which lead me to believe that no clarification was needed.
Furthermore, when the Yorkton city manager was contacted th e following day I was informed that the policy of Yorkton city council is to stay out of Federal and Provincial politics. What could have been made clear, had this policy been made public at the City council meeting is that the results and recommendations of the standing committee came after weeks of, open to the public,consultations that involved submissions from cities, municipalities, seniors groups, community organizations, indigenous groups, postal workers, large and small businesses owners and the list goes on.
The city of Yorkton council representatives really just missed an opportunity to stand up for the citizens of Yorkton in defending services and supporting the recommendations of the standing committee, a committee made up of representatives from all political parties.
Taking a position, when one is called upon to do so, that represents the interests of the many, not the few is one of the many jobs of council. It was made clear in CUPW’s presentation that Yorkton is NOT covered by a 2007 moratorium that protects post offices from potential closures. It’s my hope that if city council refuses to support these recommendations that members of the public will take an opportunity to contact the minister responsible.
Judy Foote, minister of public service
Julee Sanderson and Ellen Bowles, CUPW represenatives
