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Decision on postal service recommendations coming in spring, union told

The federal government will decide by spring whether to restore door-to-door mail delivery

Decision on postal service recommendations coming in spring, union told

OTTAWA — The federal government will decide by spring whether to restore door-to-door mail delivery to those who lost it in the last year, the federal public service minister said Thursday to the union that represents postal workers.

Judy Foote made the commitment in a meeting with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers that was originally scheduled as part of the minister’s continuing review of the postal service’s mandate and structure.

“Today’s meeting with representatives of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers was another opportunity to hear directly from partners on the future of Canada Post,” Foote said in a statement after the half-hour session. “I will be announcing a new plan (for Canada Post) this spring.”

CUPW representatives urged Foote to act on a Commons committee report released in December.

Among its many recommendations, the committee’s report called on the Liberal government to reinstate door-to-door delivery in those parts of the country where service was converted to community mailboxes after August 2015.

It also urged the government to maintain a freeze on the installation of the curbside mail boxes and said Canada Post should raise delivery rates.

The minister didn’t commit to adopt any of the committee’s recommendations, CUPW national president Mike Palecek acknowledged as he left the meeting.

But he voiced optimism that the minister would make what he called “the right choice.”

“The government committee’s report recommends restoring delivery to most of the people who lost it,” Palecek noted.

“There’s a big difference between a government report and government action,” he acknowledged.

“That’s what we’re waiting on, to see if this government is going to live up to the promises that many Liberal MPs made out on the campaign trail.”

The Liberals promised during the 2015 election campaign to end the conversions of door-to-door service to community boxes, but didn’t commit to restoring services retroactively.