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Community Mailboxes

Woodstock and Ingersoll moving to community mailboxes by fall of 2015

WOODSTOCK -- By the fall of 2015, all Woodstock and Ingersoll residents will receive their mail by community mailboxes.

Canada Post employee and Grievance Officer Steve Gilbert says he and his co-workers weren't necessarily shocked to learn of the news Monday morning but didn't expect to have the changes come so soon.  "They announced last year that they were going to start transforming places, we thought it was going to start in the larger centres Toronto, Oakville, you know Edmonton, Calgary -- places like that.  We weren't expecting it to come here so fast."

At this point, there is no indication of job loss according to Gilbert.  "Right now contractually, we have a no layoff clause but our contract is up in 2015 so we really don't know where it's going because in Woodstock we have 21 routes and they say we'll lose 33-50% of that so how long are they going to let 10 letter carriers just sit around doing nothing."

Some residents have voiced their concerns with the switch to community mailboxes and Gilbert says they are encouraging those people to contact their local MP (Member of Parliament) with the issues they feel will effect some people in the community, such as seniors and those with mobility restrictions.

Again Gilbert highlighted that the announcement was not a shock to the employees but they feel as though Canada Post has been coming after the workers and union for some time now.  "They're cutting services to Canadians everywhere.  It's a services; it's a profitable service -- the only year Canada Post hasn't made money in the last 19 years is the year they locked us out.  Last quarter, they made over 50-million dollars in profit and they're still cutting service."

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