{"id":25713,"date":"2022-07-27T17:16:18","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T20:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=25713"},"modified":"2022-07-27T17:18:32","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T20:18:32","slug":"rural-postal-workers-paying-out-of-pocket-for-fuel-says-union","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/rural-postal-workers-paying-out-of-pocket-for-fuel-says-union\/","title":{"rendered":"Rural postal workers paying out-of-pocket for fuel, says union"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Postal workers held a protest in Shediac on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Photo: Jeff Callaghan<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The union representing postal workers says the high cost of gas is hurting mail carriers in rural and suburban areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers held a protest outside the office of Liberal MP and federal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc in Shediac on Wednesday afternoon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Rural delivery workers are sick and tired of using money out of their pockets for work reasons,” Line Blanchard Doucet, president of CUPW’s Moncton region local, said in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rural and suburban mail carriers use their own vehicles to deliver the mail, getting reimbursed up to a limit set by the Canada Revenue Agency, according to CUPW. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the feds determined the cap back in December, based on figures from the previous month, meaning postal workers are effectively subsidizing Canada Post at the pump, the union says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Fuel prices are in unprecedented territory and have impacted the entire industry,” Canada Post spokesperson Phil Legault said in an email. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Canada Post is adapting to increased costs across many aspects of our operations.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that Canada Post has “discussed the matter of fluctuating fuel prices with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers with a review and examination of elements of the [rural and suburban mail carriers’] collective agreement.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A spokesperson for Minister LeBlanc declined to comment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LeBlanc is the longtime MP for the Beaus\u00e9jour riding, which includes Sackville, and is Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Postal Workers in #MonctonNB<\/a> payed a visit to @DLeBlancNB<\/a> to call on the government and #CRA<\/a> to bring relieve to #RSMC<\/a> who are paying out of pocket to deliver mail due to #HighGasPrices<\/a> @FilomenaTassi<\/a> @DiLebouthillier<\/a> #NBlab<\/a> #canlab<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Z5TGnXKYzL<\/a><\/p>— Jeff Callaghan (@jcallaghan2) July 27, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>