The future of postal services

Canada Post is on strike, again.

This isn’t news to me, but today’s Front Burner podcast highlighted something I didn’t expect happening in postal industry: the shady and toxic two-tier hiring strategy.

Apparently, it’s no longer a secret that companies are implementing different compensation packages based on the time of hire. I’ve heard that tech companies have been doing this for a while, by strategically laying off older employees and replacing with new hires. It seems this inhumane practice is spreading quickly to other industries. The older employees with better pay are slowly replacing by new staffs at much lower pay and fewer benefits through retirements, backfills and layoffs. People sitting side-by-side, doing the exact same job, but getting paid completely different. As the guest said: it’s a recipe for division in the workplace.

On the bright side, the postal union introduced some interesting new ideas. They suggested utilizing the existing infrastructure and resources to evolve and expand postal service. Things like postal banking (CP already launched a program in partnership with TD), and having postal works check-in on seniors, have been brought to the table. It’s a very smart way to expand the business scope while minimizing costs, and it’s practical too, given the growing proportion of aging population. I can definitely foresee someone regularly checking in on my house when I’m older. It would give me a piece of mind knowing that my well-being (and my cats’) would be looked after if something happened.

Naturally, postal workers would gain more diverse, cross-functional skills, and potentially, earn more money. With the reach of the existing postal network and infrastructure, the opportunities are huge. If they can pull it off, I wouldn’t be surprised if the future postal office transforms into a community hub. It could be amazing.