Canada Post Woes (merged)

[YZT580]

Problem with Skytrain and Translink in general is they are really working on a now obsolete model. Skytrain works really well to move large volumes of people to certain hub points. The problem is those hub points being downtown and now UBC are actually seeing declines in usage and WFH and technology is going to continue to be disruptive of their transit modelling.

Roadways are multi-use with commercial, private, work, recreational usage, along with being infrastructure corridors. Skytrain is a one trick pony and can't easily be shifted as population behaviours shift. Buses are more labour intensive, but can be easily shifted to meet demand or cut to meet budget restraints. I personal question how much thought they have put into long term usage of the new lines they are building. I support the one going out into the valley, but not the UBC one. I also don't support increasing taxes on drivers to pay for it. I am already going to have to pay $700+ extra for the Metro Van boondoggle of a treatment plant.

The major problem with something other than rail is that the vehicles are mixed with cars, trucks, motorcycles etc. A transit dedicated lane solves this but the space required means that special construction is now called for and you are back to the Skytrain problem. Surface rail such as streetcars work without the high cost of either tunneling (subways) or vertical construction (Skytrain) but they take up very expensive land. To my mind the best solution is to spread your growth throughout the region or province and have smaller cities where buses can be beneficial and bicycles become practical for the health conscious group.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The major problem with something other than rail is that the vehicles are mixed with cars, trucks, motorcycles etc. A transit dedicated lane solves this but the space required means that special construction is now called for and you are back to the Skytrain problem. Surface rail such as streetcars work without the high cost of either tunneling (subways) or vertical construction (Skytrain) but they take up very expensive land. To my mind the best solution is to spread your growth throughout the region or province and have smaller cities where buses can be beneficial and bicycles become practical for the health conscious group.

Problem with dedicated bus lanes is the efficiency of that patch of asphalts drops, when you start to calculate usage over the whole day. Bus lanes that are only bus lanes during peak hours.

No planner today gets to go through school, gets a degree or a master by promoting the use of privately owned cars. You must be in the Public Transit Religion to get a job, so there is much "Group-think" in that field.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Except for the major arteries which are purpose-built and have limited numbers of "intersections" (eg. highways), the existing road network is full of potential bus-only lanes. There are some neighbourhoods, typically a block removed from a main street (thus within easy walking distance), in which residents might be happier to just have bus-only traffic instead of rat-runners.

 

[CountDC]

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.

For labour costs with cost of living I can see a point. yeah starting off at $22 seems high compared to many but based on a 20 day work month that is only $3300 a month.

Not getting the math of 400 hours taking 18 months or 1000 taking 3 to 4 years. Did I miss something or did the writer leave something out? Putting in 7.5 hours a day it would take approx 53 days and 133 days which would be in the 3 to 6 month range. In the 80s I worked at job that had a 3 month probationary period so don't see that as an issue.

 

[daftandbarmy]

For labour costs with cost of living I can see a point. yeah starting off at $22 seems high compared to many but based on a 20 day work month that is only $3300 a month.

Not getting the math of 400 hours taking 18 months or 1000 taking 3 to 4 years. Did I miss something or did the writer leave something out? Putting in 7.5 hours a day it would take approx 53 days and 133 days which would be in the 3 to 6 month range. In the 80s I worked at job that had a 3 month probationary period so don't see that as an issue.

And what would it cost to contract out through (clutching pearls!) an organization like Amazon, at least for part of it, just as a comparison

 

[AmmoTech90]

And what would it cost to contract out through (clutching pearls!) an organization like Amazon, at least for part of it, just as a comparison

If Amazon around here (SE Alberta) is any indication of their service outside of major centres, it will be sub contracted out. They still do a good job, but it is not Amazon. No shiny trucks (rusty Dogde minivan), no 1 day delivery guarantee (2 days instead).
And we know how increasing layers of admin, coordination and workers always improves service and working conditions. Canada Post may have its problems, but it is still cheaper than a courier for outgoing packages in my situation. Also I can walk to a full service post office rather than drive to an industrial park 10km away.

 

[CountDC]

And what would it cost to contract out through (clutching pearls!) an organization like Amazon, at least for part of it, just as a comparison

That is a good question but you also need to take into account and compare the service offered. If CP is giving one day home delivery then amazon offering 2 day delivery for a dollar less doesn't cut it.

 

[AmmoTech90]

Letter from Redcliff to Calgary, 4 day delivery
Fedex: $27
Purolater: $73
Canpar: $51
Canada Post: $1.24

 

[daftandbarmy]

Letter from Redcliff to Calgary, 4 day delivery
Fedex: $27
Purolater: $73
Canpar: $51
Canada Post: $1.24

 

[Brad Sallows]

Letter from Redcliff to Calgary, 4 day delivery
Fedex: $27
Purolater: $73
Canpar: $51
Canada Post: $1.24

Email $0.00 ?

 

[AmmoTech90]

You are presenting a logical fallacy, go ahead research which one, you might learn something.

I'm not comparing email services.
I'm comparing services that deliver small physical things.

 

[Brad Sallows]

You are presenting a logical fallacy, go ahead research which one, you might learn something.

Why? My point is to remind that other tech is in the mix. CP is in trouble because people are using other means to replace snail mail communications, and have been since roughly the invention of the telegraph. Fold up CP and let millions of people - including people in remote communities - figure out how to deal with the loss of inexpensive physical mail delivery themselves. Don't even attempt to have a very few thinking heads in government impose a solution; they can't possibly conceive as many practical solutions.