Coincidentally, an open letter penned by a postie... aka 'keeping our neighborhoods safe'
Labour costs, however, remained flat, as letter carrier wages were frozen since 2018, with no movement in the pay bracket except for two $1/hour increases during the pandemic. The pay bracket was $20 to $28 per hour, and letter carriers would move up the pay bracket once they passed their 400 hour probationary period, at a rate of $1 per hour per year. Once reaching the eighth year post-probation, their wage is capped, with no more increases, for the length of their career, unless a new contract is agreed to by CUPW and Canada Post. At the time of the strike, letter carriers earned between $22 and $30 per hour.
The current probationary period of 400 hours takes about 18 months to accumulate. The turnover rate for new staff is dismally high, with up to 80% quitting or being dismissed before reaching 400 cumulative hours. These new carriers would never have qualified for benefits or pay increases before leaving Canada Post.
Management intends to raise the probationary period to 1000 hours, which could take 3 to 4 years, which means constant recruitment, training, and more carriers earning the bottom of the pay scale, with no benefits.