‘Not a done deal’: Postal union reacts to phasing out door-to-door mail delivery

Moncton residents are reacting to Canada Post’s elimination of door-to-door delivery.

Canada Post’s decision to phase out door-to-door delivery in favour of community mailboxes is not sitting well with some in Moncton.

“I don’t like it,” said Ray Goguen. “We’re paying taxes for something that they’re taking away from us. To me, it’s not right.”

Heather Vautour thinks seniors may struggle if their mail doesn’t come to the front door.

“Not every senior is able to get up and get their mail at a community mailbox” said Vautour. “I did that in the country and it’s really not a good idea.”

But for others, it’s not an issue at all.

“I think it’s fine,” said Bruce Wilson. “Both my residences I have to go to a community mailbox and pick up my mail and that’s fine for me.”

Paul Gaudet thinks Canada Post is in trouble financially and something has to be done.

“I lived in New Maryland for 25 years and had a CMB, a community mailbox, I don’t see any problem with it,” said Gaudet. “People will get used to it.”

Canada Post has started the process of converting around four million addresses that receive door-to-door mail to community mailboxes.

Different regions across Canada will move to community mailboxes each year over a roughly five-year period.

The phasing out of door delivery will start with 13 communities across Canada.

Line Doucet, president of the Moncton local for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, said the distribution centre on Mark Avenue will be the first region in Atlantic Canada to be part of the restructuring process.

“To me, it’s not a done deal. We’re going to fight and we’re going to fight this. Canadians deserve door-to-door delivery,” said Doucet.

Doucet believes there will be somewhere between 25 to 35 per cent job losses at the depot in Moncton that employees close to 80 people.

She started receiving calls around 7 a.m. Friday from some of the roughly 500 union members who are afraid of losing their jobs.

“It’s very sad that they are cutting services to people, to Canadians across the country. It’s a public service and they should be consulting the public,” said Doucet.

CTV News has reached out to Canada Post for comment and more information on potential job losses in the Greater Moncton area.

For Dorothy March, losing delivery service is just a matter of acceptance.

“I don’t think we have a choice. It’s going to happen,” said March. “We’ll just have to get used to it.”

Some post offices will also be phased out as part of the restructuring plan.

CTV News reached out to Canada Post for comment and more information on potential job losses in the Greater Moncton area, but did not hear back by deadline.

With files from the Canadian Press

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