OTTAWA, ON — Canada Post has resumed operations nationwide following a national strike by mail carriers, but customers are being warned to expect ongoing delays as unionized workers continue localized labor actions.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced last week that it would move to rotating strikes in its campaign to secure a new contract for delivery personnel.
According to Canada Post, CUPW workers have walked off the job in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, British Columbia, and St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador, while rotating strike activity has ended in Timmins, Ontario. Mail and parcels are not being delivered or picked up in areas affected by the strikes.
CUPW has stated it will not provide advance notice of strike locations, dates, or times.
“Our decision to move to rotating strikes reflects our commitment to the public, charities, businesses, and our members. Rotating strikes may slightly delay mail and parcels, but they keep them moving. They also reduce hardship on postal workers while maintaining pressure on Canada Post and the government to return to bargaining,” said Jan Simpson, CUPW National President.
Canada Post announced that acceptance of commercial mail and parcels will resume on Wednesday.
The postal operator also noted it has not received a response to its latest contract offer. CUPW has expressed dissatisfaction, citing rollbacks of promised benefits and warning that planned operational changes could result in thousands of job losses.
“Only new collective agreements will provide the certainty Canadians require to confidently use the postal system. The need to align the business to the country’s current needs, and to reduce dependence on taxpayer dollars, grows more urgent each day this strike continues,” Canada Post said.
Labor talks have been ongoing for nearly two years. Last year, CUPW staged a 32-day strike, which ended when the government ordered employees back to work while a commission examined Canada Post’s financial challenges and recommended changes. Earlier this year, mail carriers refused overtime and recently began boycotting bulk mail delivery, escalating tensions after government-mandated operational streamlining.
The prolonged labor dispute has created uncertainty for households and businesses, with many e-commerce shippers turning to private delivery services, further impacting Canada Post’s parcel volumes and revenues.
(Source: FreightWaves)