Tuesday March 9 2021
On February 24, 2021 Canada Post Corporation and the leadership of all the postal unions sent a joint letter requesting that Canada Post employees be given special attention in the prioritization of the distribution of vaccines.
The letter was signed by myself, on behalf of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, and by Francois Paradis, National President of the Union of Postal and Communications Employees (UPCE), Brenda McAuley, National President of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA), Michael Ling, National President of the Association of Postal Officials of Canada (APOC) and Susan Margles, Chief People and Safety Officer for Canada Post.
The letter was sent to the Ministers of Health and the Chief Medical Officers of all the provinces and territories.
“Special Attention” in the Prioritization of Vaccine Distribution
In the letter both the unions and CPC stated that we fully respect that the immediate priority is to vaccinate front line healthcare workers, support workers and those most vulnerable to the virus.
However, we also stated that while we have introduced measures at workplaces to reduce the risk of COVID-19, we believe that the nature of our work warrants special attention in the prioritization of the distribution of vaccines.
Do Not Let Down Your Guard
Even if we are successful in having postal workers prioritized for vaccinations it will be weeks, maybe months, before we are all vaccinated. In the meantime, we all need to continue following the safety rules and wearing our PPE. Nothing is more important than our health.
In Solidarity,