Canadian Politics Redux

Parksy · June 4

to be clear, i like Canada Post... they're just losing way way way too much money to be sustainable.

ekwipt · June 4

Government just refused Canada Post’s plea for a forced contract vote. Arbitration proceedings on the way. 🍿

HughFreakingDillon · June 4

ekwipt said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

ekwipt said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

I feel bad for the workers to say this; it’s a massive workforce, but it’s essentially a nearly obsolete service. All the mail I get is junk. The shit I need is electronic or courier.

My fliers go directly into my bonfire pit.

Most (not all) homes still get mail every 1-2 days. The problem is the number of homes in Canada has grown exponentially and it’s not cost effective to service them all anymore. Private couriers do not service vast areas of our country. They subcontract their deliveries to Canada Post. Those of us in the big cities have it good. Many rural communities would be completely cut off if not for the public post office.

100%. So like many other sevices, we could keep canada post rural and do something else for urban centres. Maybe a multi-solution idea would be too confusing to the public, but it’s just mot viable.

I have friends who are posties. It can be a gruellingly thankless job. ESPECIALLY in Winnipeg (2 of my friends started at CP in Vancouver, then CHOSE to transfer back here). So they do deserve higher pay/better benefits. But the model needs updating.

There’s so much evil stuff under the surface of these public sector labour disputes that the public never hears about. Reporters don’t ask questions anymore. They just copy and paste the corporate and union statements and call it news. Journalism is dying even faster than letter mail volumes.

Probably a topic for a separate thread, but…they are only following those they serve. The public today need information yesterday and in 10 second sound bites. Investigative journalism is no longer cost effective.

HughFreakingDillon · June 4

Parksy said:

to be clear, i like Canada Post... they're just losing way way way too much money to be sustainable.

But is it fair to characterize an essential public service as “losing money” or should we shift it to “spending money”?

ekwipt · June 4

HughFreakingDillon said:

Parksy said:

to be clear, i like Canada Post... they're just losing way way way too much money to be sustainable.

But is it fair to characterize an essential public service as “losing money” or should we shift it to “spending money”?

Bingo! Especially when the corporation has been engaged in infrastructure spending at an alarming rate and calling it “losses” in the media. Labour spending at Canada Post is down. All other spending is way, way up. Heck the new hires in BC barely make more than minimum wage now that the 2 tiered wage system was forced in during the Harper years.

nautical_disaster · June 4

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

ekwipt · June 4

nautical_disaster said:

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

Junk mail at the most basic level is no different than letter mail or a parcel. Someone has paid Canada Post to deliver it to a civic address. The revenue from junk mail delivery helps keep the cost of postage more affordable.

nautical_disaster · June 4

ekwipt said:

nautical_disaster said:

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

Junk mail at the most basic level is no different than letter mail or a parcel. Someone has paid Canada Post to deliver it to a civic address. The revenue from junk mail delivery helps keep the cost of postage more affordable.

Sure I get it - I was just doing a silly poll question lol. God bless those Candian Tire coupons, couldn't live without those in my mailbox

HughFreakingDillon · June 4

nautical_disaster said:

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

I’d say 85% would be a conservative estimate in my house.

ekwipt · June 4

nautical_disaster said:

ekwipt said:

nautical_disaster said:

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

Junk mail at the most basic level is no different than letter mail or a parcel. Someone has paid Canada Post to deliver it to a civic address. The revenue from junk mail delivery helps keep the cost of postage more affordable.

Sure I get it - I was just doing a silly poll question lol. God bless those Candian Tire coupons, couldn't live without those in my mailbox

50/50 for us. Mail/parcels every 1-2 days and junk mail comes in bunches every 3rd day.

ekwipt · June 4

HughFreakingDillon said:

ekwipt said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

ekwipt said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

I feel bad for the workers to say this; it’s a massive workforce, but it’s essentially a nearly obsolete service. All the mail I get is junk. The shit I need is electronic or courier.

My fliers go directly into my bonfire pit.

Most (not all) homes still get mail every 1-2 days. The problem is the number of homes in Canada has grown exponentially and it’s not cost effective to service them all anymore. Private couriers do not service vast areas of our country. They subcontract their deliveries to Canada Post. Those of us in the big cities have it good. Many rural communities would be completely cut off if not for the public post office.

100%. So like many other sevices, we could keep canada post rural and do something else for urban centres. Maybe a multi-solution idea would be too confusing to the public, but it’s just mot viable.

I have friends who are posties. It can be a gruellingly thankless job. ESPECIALLY in Winnipeg (2 of my friends started at CP in Vancouver, then CHOSE to transfer back here). So they do deserve higher pay/better benefits. But the model needs updating.

There’s so much evil stuff under the surface of these public sector labour disputes that the public never hears about. Reporters don’t ask questions anymore. They just copy and paste the corporate and union statements and call it news. Journalism is dying even faster than letter mail volumes.

Probably a topic for a separate thread, but…they are only following those they serve. The public today need information yesterday and in 10 second sound bites. Investigative journalism is no longer cost effective.

It’s a chicken or the egg situation for sure but I lean towards feeling lazy journalism is at least partially responsible for the dumbing down of general society and not a so much a product of it. When Canada Post refused the unusual union request for binding arbitration the news only reported that Canada Post says it would lead to uncertainty. Now sadly probably 80% of people just take that as fact. If reporters would’ve asked 1 or 2 simple questions to get to some truth it would encourage critical intelligent thinking. Why would a union request binding arbitration which historically doesn’t benefit the workers? Are the contract offers actually that bad that they could do better with arbitration (yes). Why would arbitration cause uncertainty? Wouldn’t it mean an end to the threat of strike or lockout and a guaranteed contract and return to full service (yes).

PJ_Soul · June 4

nautical_disaster said:

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

My mailman told me that if you just put a big red dot on your mailbox, they won't deliver the flyers.

ekwipt · June 4

PJ_Soul said:

nautical_disaster said:

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

My mailman told me that if you just put big red dot on your mailbox, they won't deliver the flyers.

True! There are specific stickers you can ask for now too.

nautical_disaster · June 4

PJ_Soul said:

nautical_disaster said:

What would be your percentage of useful/junk mail that you get from CP? I say 85% junk. We check at home for the few random gov / insurance type mail that still come physically by mail, and of course jury duty summons - wouldn't want to miss that and have to pay 1000$ fine lol.

My mailman told me that if you just put big red dot on your mailbox, they won't deliver the flyers.

Holy smokes! Thanks for the tip

Parksy · June 4

HughFreakingDillon said:

Parksy said:

to be clear, i like Canada Post... they're just losing way way way too much money to be sustainable.

But is it fair to characterize an essential public service as “losing money” or should we shift it to “spending money”?

Sorry, could you elaborate? Spending money how?

HughFreakingDillon · June 4

Parksy said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Parksy said:

to be clear, i like Canada Post... they're just losing way way way too much money to be sustainable.

But is it fair to characterize an essential public service as “losing money” or should we shift it to “spending money”?

Sorry, could you elaborate? Spending money how?

We don’t ever say the healthcare system is losing money. We say how much it costs. Canada Post’s mandate isn’t to be profitable. It’s to serve a need.

Parksy · June 4

HughFreakingDillon said:

Parksy said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Parksy said:

to be clear, i like Canada Post... they're just losing way way way too much money to be sustainable.

But is it fair to characterize an essential public service as “losing money” or should we shift it to “spending money”?

Sorry, could you elaborate? Spending money how?

We don’t ever say the healthcare system is losing money. We say how much it costs. Canada Post’s mandate isn’t to be profitable. It’s to serve a need.

ah ok I see what you're saying. To me though.. we may be having a similar discussion if we no longer needed health care or if the function of health care becomes obsolete.

Lerxst1992 · June 4

Parksy said:

Lerxst1992 said:

PJ_Soul said:

Lerxst1992 said:

Free golden dome, and still you shoot us down?

He’d probably give y’all fifty electoral votes, fifty congresspeople, two senators…and let you keep your anthem, Parliament , PM, health care, all for free…and if the Oilers win, then hey, why the heck not? What could possibly be more valuable with your dollar? Independent States have significant identity and diversity.

What is the matter with you?

Guessing the tongue in cheek humor is lost on you.

Behind most HUMOR is a percent of truth. I challenged Canadians to calculate the value of fifty electoral votes, fifty congressmen, two senators, perhaps more, which would be open to negotiation, while maintaining significant independence. That has significant value

anyone following politics certainly understands that America has a problem, which is not my fault nor my fellow Democratic voters. We have tens of millions of voters in rural and exurban America, who are not reachable to Democrats.

In addition to not knowing how to reach these voters, Democrats do not even know what to say. All we need to look at is what is said on this forum. Democrats have replied to extremism with their version of extremism, and it ain’t working with the majority of voters.The liberal movement is lost in the weeds, and we could use all the help we could get. But go on you being you, and let’s all root for the Oilers to win!

You challenge us to calculate value? Based on Trump? You understand he is a narcissistic pathological liar right? Like you know that right?

How many of you Americans heard him say Mexico was paying for a border wall and actually believed that? lol

He is a lot more than that. That comment is very reminiscent of for the last four years,Those that underestimated Trump and created this mess.

He is a man of negotiation. That’s the point of my comment that everyone missed. Am I being realistic? No, not really. But if that was tried, you might’ve made him happy. Maybe it would’ve led to a deal with zero boundaries being redrawn . Probably not. But one thing it would’ve done is it would’ve bought us all time until his term runs out. And it would’ve made him happy for indulging him

Instead of thinking about the psychology of trump, your leaders and you guys ran to your corner, hated all Americans, and you refuse to see the sunlight right in front of your eyes. That’s not on me

Lerxst1992 · June 4

the Mexico paying for the wall is part of his schtik. He thinks that makes his followers happy and they all get a laugh about it. Like so many people on the left have no clue about Trump. It’s amazing

ekwipt · June 4

Parksy said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Parksy said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Parksy said:

to be clear, i like Canada Post... they're just losing way way way too much money to be sustainable.

But is it fair to characterize an essential public service as “losing money” or should we shift it to “spending money”?

Sorry, could you elaborate? Spending money how?

We don’t ever say the healthcare system is losing money. We say how much it costs. Canada Post’s mandate isn’t to be profitable. It’s to serve a need.

ah ok I see what you're saying. To me though.. we may be having a similar discussion if we no longer needed health care or if the function of health care becomes obsolete.

The way Canada Post presents itself is the issue. They’re being deceptive on purpose. If a fire department invests in a new fleet of modern fire engines they don’t then call the media and cry that they’re in a financial crisis. Canada Post spends a billion dollars on new processing plants and electric vehicles (which are rotting in storage because they don’t have the charging infrastructure to run them) and then calls all that spending “losses” and cries it from the rooftops every chance they get. Appearing to be broke benefits them during contract negotiations as they use it an excuse to attack workers contracts. Also I believe both the Conservative and Liberal Parties long game is to sell out & privatize Canada Post. Appearing broke helps give them excuse to cut services and eventually gain public support for privatization.

Canadian Politics Redux

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