Is there going to be a snail mail strike?

[Rob MacLennan]

There's been a tentative contract presented by the union.

I've got a couple of shipments inbound. Once they come in, they're more than welcome to go on strike. There's nothing quite like helping to make yourself obsolete, is there? Oddly enough one of my friends used to be treasurer of the Hamilton local and we've gotten into it, over strikes, on more than one occasion.

 

[skitta]

even more insane, why do people still use snail mail?

Ummm...how about some people still *choose* (and take pleasure in) handwriting their letters? Mail a card, versus sending an 'e-card'? Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not everyone wants to use a computer.

 

[afong56]

there will always be snail mail, for parcel and package shipping, registered mail and documents, and sensitive correspondence that people will not trust to email.

basic letters have certainly declined dramatically with email and social networking, but canada post will be around for a lot longer.

 

[oilycreek]

Ummm...how about some people still *choose* (and take pleasure in) handwriting their letters? Mail a card, versus sending an 'e-card'? Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not everyone wants to use a computer.

So handwrite your letter. then fax it. it's called progress, technology ect., embrace it. If you like handwriting so much, how about you handwrite your replies for gtam, and mail them to Paul, then he can post them for you.

 

[jay-d]

So handwrite your letter. then fax it. it's called progress, technology ect., embrace it. If you like handwriting so much, how about you handwrite your replies for gtam, and mail them to Paul, then he can post them for you.

Totally missed skitta's point.

I'm with you skitta. Nothing like writing a letter to a good friend in another country!

 

[oilycreek]

Totally missed skitta's point.

I'm with you skitta. Nothing like writing a letter to a good friend in another country!

I didn't miss his point. He likes to handwrite letters, I just suggested a better way of delivery for his hand written letters.

 

[mat2312]

there will always be snail mail, for parcel and package shipping, registered mail and documents, and sensitive correspondence that people will not trust to email.

basic letters have certainly declined dramatically with email and social networking, but canada post will be around for a lot longer.

Major Couriers are increasing their market share on CPost's back. Cpost does service areas that the major players won't, simply because they MUST not because it makes $$.

Already the major couriers are cheaper for parcel shipping, they offer signature services and are trusted with sensitive documents all the time. (IIRC it's purolator who handles passports now)

I cannot see the day when snail mail is gone, but I can see the day when Cpost will fold unless they find a way to cut costs.

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

Keep an eye on http://www.cupw.ca for any news regarding strike action. They can legally walk on the 25th, but won't be walking that day as they need to give CP 72 hours notice... so we are good till at least Friday of this week.

CUPW really should just accept the offer that is on the table, which you can find here: http://www.infopost.ca/en/2011/05/summary-of-the-final-offer-to-cupw/

It really is a very good offering considering how the economy is and what these same workers would get anywhere else. The biggest concession on the table is a loss of 15 sick days a year with a replacement of 7 personal days that can be used for any reason - but CUPW will lose the sick day benefit with a strike, no strike, or arbitration because 3 other unions at Canada Post have already lost their sick days for personal days - so in the end any strike will cost CUPW and CP a lot more than they could possibly gain.

A big reason posties aren't willing to concede is because Canada Post is currently spending a whack of cash on new equipment to bring them up to speed and reduce labour costs, so posties think that if CP can spend billions on equipment, they must be able to afford 15 sicks, etc., etc. that they are asking for. Another theory is that CP is making a large capital investment to make it a more valuable sell off in order to privatize, and now that Harper has a majority, that is a possibility.

 

[afong56]

Major Couriers are increasing their market share on CPost's back. Cpost does service areas that the major players won't, simply because they MUST not because it makes $$.

Already the major couriers are cheaper for parcel shipping, they offer signature services and are trusted with sensitive documents all the time. (IIRC it's purolator who handles passports now)

I cannot see the day when snail mail is gone, but I can see the day when Cpost will fold unless they find a way to cut costs.

re: purolator, read post #15. . .

also, canada post is still profitable, in large part to a continuous cost cutting plan that they already run on. . .

 

[skitta]

Totally missed skitta's point.

I'm with you skitta. Nothing like writing a letter to a good friend in another country!

Thanks, Jay. Doesn't surprise me that someone missed the point I was trying to make. Typical.

 

[skitta]

I didn't miss his point. He likes to handwrite letters, I just suggested a better way of delivery for his hand written letters.

Yeah, you did miss the point. Or I suppose you were just being facetious? Who says it's a "better way"? It's a different way, that's all. Anyway, I said "some people"; not me personally (my Mom, for example). Oh, and 'he' is a 'she' who actually doesn't mind handwriting letters. When my grandmother was alive, I looked forward to her (handwritten) letters. I still have every one of them.

It's all fine and dandy to "embrace technology", but I believe to some degree it's made our society less sociable. jmho.

 

[bobjohnson]

even more insane, why do people still use snail mail?

Yeah, for parts as other people said. Canada post is the best shipping choice from getting stuff from foreign countries, as they charge the least amount of fees for getting it across the border. Getting stuff UPS'd or Fedex'd from the states costs an arm and a leg, i cant imagine was fees from the UK or China would be. I bought a guitar online once and the brokerage fees for UPS ended up being about double the cost of the actual guitar... since then i never use UPS or Fedex.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

FedEx is expensive; no two ways about it. UPS "International Saver" is dirt cheap; frequently less than USPS/Canada Post AND faster. The problem is that many American companies don't care enough to use the proper UPS service so you get hosed with a $50.00 brokerage charge, the cost of which is actually INCLUDED in the international services.

I still use Canada Post anyway, because it's far more convenient to drive to my local postal outlet than it is to haul my butt out to the UPS depot, up in Richmond Hill.

 

[jay-d]

It's all fine and dandy to "embrace technology", but I believe to some degree it's made our society less sociable. jmho.

So true! You can see it at restaurants all the time, a couple eating dinner while each is texting someone else. What the hell is up with that?

I personally have a two text limit, if it takes me more than two texts to say what I need to say, I stop texting.

 

[oilycreek]

Yeah, you did miss the point. Or I suppose you were just being facetious? Who says it's a "better way"? It's a different way, that's all. Anyway, I said "some people"; not me personally (my Mom, for example). Oh, and 'he' is a 'she' who actually doesn't mind handwriting letters. When my grandmother was alive, I looked forward to her (handwritten) letters. I still have every one of them.

It's all fine and dandy to "embrace technology", but I believe to some degree it's made our society less sociable. jmho.

My apologies, I couldn't see the boobies through the internet. I believe technology has made us more sociable. Facebook helps us get in touch with old friends, we would other wise not talk to, how many people do you have on FB that you haven't met, but chat with? dating sites help people meet, when time is short, due to work and family priorities, ect. Technology has made us more efficient.

 

[Lightcycle]

It's all fine and dandy to "embrace technology", but I believe to some degree it's made our society less sociable. jmho.

I believe technology has made us more sociable. Facebook helps us get in touch with old friends, we would other wise not talk to, how many people do you have on FB that you haven't met, but chat with?

I disagree with you both. Technology hasn't made people or society more or less social, it's just given another avenue for communication. Like the telegraph and the telephone, people who are social will use it as another medium, others who don't have such social tendencies will use it less.

If you don't have anything to say to the person sitting in front of you at dinner, you will find other ways to be anti-social even if you don't have an iPhone in your hands.

"Social" media like Facebook and Twitter, on the other hand, is less about communicating than it is about self-promotion and attention-whoring. Being social entails more than just striving to appear to be interesting. It's genuinely being interested in someone else without being prompted by a status update or a photo album being published, proclaiming "Look at me!", "Comment on this!", "LIKE THIS!".

Please...

 

[nfq]

I disagree with you both. Technology hasn't made people or society more or less social, it's just given another avenue for communication. Like the telegraph and the telephone, people who are social will use it as another medium, others who don't have such social tendencies will use it less.

If you don't have anything to say to the person sitting in front of you at dinner, you will find other ways to be anti-social even if you don't have an iPhone in your hands.

"Social" media like Facebook and Twitter, on the other hand, is less about communicating than it is about self-promotion and attention-whoring. Being social entails more than just striving to appear to be interesting. It's genuinely being interested in someone else without being prompted by a status update or a photo album being published, proclaiming "Look at me!", "Comment on this!", "LIKE THIS!".

Please...

well said! and I agree with you 110%.


now...accept my friend request already!!!!!




...please?

 

[skitta]

So true! You can see it at restaurants all the time, a couple eating dinner while each is texting someone else. What the hell is up with that? ...QUOTE]

That's exactly one of the examples I was going to give.

And, I still maintain that some technology has created a society of socially inept people. Again, that's just my opinion.

 

[oilycreek]

So true! You can see it at restaurants all the time, a couple eating dinner while each is texting someone else. What the hell is up with that? ...QUOTE]

That's exactly one of the examples I was going to give.

And, I still maintain that some technology has created a society of socially inept people. Again, that's just my opinion.

Since you have boobies, you can voice your opinion now

 

[[evo]]

F****** Unions. Die already.