Canada's mail carriers to use own cars?

Canada Post has sent a letter to the union representing its employees suggesting mail carriers be given the choice of using their personal vehicles on their routes to deliver mail, Radio-Canada reported Monday.

Use of personal vehicles already goes on but that flies in the face of the mail carriers’ current contract, which forbids them from transporting mail sacks to local grey pickup boxes or carrying mail in their cars.

Canada Post wants the mail carriers to be able to transport the mail in their vehicles, saying it would better enable them to compete with courier companies such as FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. and boost productivity.

However, the union fears that 1,000 jobs could be lost if the current system of having mail trucks transport the mail is curtailed.