Was - ditorial 985-2131 NEWS photo Stu: Night vision A LONE skier stands atop Grouse Mountain's Peak run as the last rays of the day light up the evening sky. my Eagle Sw Test drive the 2000 GX pro Union workers ‘mourn’ closure to public AN GRY MEMBERS of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) held « ‘‘mourning"”’ session Thursday in front of the main Norih Vancouver post office to protest Friday’s closure of the operation to all but business clients. The post office's closure to the public is part of major wperational chanees being made by the Careda Post) Corp. at several Lower Mainland pest offices, in- cluding its main Morth Vancouver branch at 100 Eas: First Street. As of today, members of the public will bese to conduct their postal business at “retail outlets” such ay 7-Eleven stores. “Canada Post is closing — its — ee are By Surj Rattan News Reporter ges and across the world Charlton asked. Six past office workers stood in front of the post office Thursdays with picket signs and handed in- formation brochures to passers- by. Thev had also erected a card- NEWS photo Terry Peters THE MAIN North Vancouver post office at 100 East First Street closed its doors today to all but business clients. Members of the public will now have to go to retail outlets to do their postal business. doors to the citizens of North Vancouver,”’ said CUPW Van- couver local president Brian Charlton. **North Vancouver will remain as an outlet offering ser- vice to big business but ignoring the needs of the ordinary citizen.” He added that retail outlets such as 7-Eleven cannot offer the same service as) Canada Post emplovees, because he said they are paid minimum wages atid: get little training. The outlets. he said. also have high staff turnover rates. Charlton said chin CUPW plats to picket: 7-Elesen stores: offering postal sersices. He added that Canada Post's decision £Q service ants busingss vhents trom seme of its: post of- Trees will “ultimately lead: to the death of Canada Post.” “Ht othe mone. tram counter sersices is ono fonger being ploughed back inte the service, but is ips sad) being vitven to Plisaty companies, wherg wall the funds core fo subsidy daor-ta- dour delrsets and the sonding of letters an parcels aeross the city E ACHING EVERY DOOR ON THE NORTH SHORE board tombstone in front of the office that read: ‘*North Van- couver post office. 1949-1991. The struggle continues."* Charlion said his union hopes to have talks with West) Van- couver-Howe Sound MP Mury Collins and North Vancouver MP Chuck Cook to convince them to urge the federal government to reverse its decision. But Canada Post spokesman 11- ona Beiks said) it] makes good business sense to provide postal service through retail outlets. She added that while semte post ettice workers in North Van- couver will be offered carly retirement, no empleyee will lose his job beeause of the change in the operations of the main North Vancouver office, Charlton said Canada Post has “bought our? PS North Van- couver post office workers. Vhe Crown corporation said: it has no plans te chime the opera- tien of its mnun West Vancouver post office. North Vaneouver’s main post offige was built in) 1949.