Canadians have mixed reactions about Canada Post workers potentially going on strike this week as negotiations continue.
On Monday, Canada Post revealed that it has received a strike notice from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) indicating that workers could walk out by Friday, May 23, if a deal is not reached.
Since 2023, the two parties have been going back and forth on contract negotiations, as the union, which represents nearly 55,000 postal workers, seeks better pay and benefits.
Last November, postal workers country-wide went on strike after failing to reach a deal, leaving thousands of Canadians without the service for about a month amid the Christmas holidays, until the federal government ordered workers to resume service.
At the time, the strike sparked concern across the country, as millions of packages were upheld, including passports and other important documents, especially affecting remote communities which don’t have access to other delivery services and small and medium business owners who rely on it for their operations.
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Canada Post now says that customers may experience delays following yesterday’s notice, as CUPW begins its “rotating strike activity.”
The federal postal service provider also warns that if workers go on strike, no mail will be delivered or accepted until a deal is reached.
“In the event of a national labour disruption, mail and parcels will not be delivered and no new items will be accepted until the disruption is over. All mail and parcels in our network will be secured and delivered as quickly as possible once operations resume,” Canada Post said in a statement on Monday.
In any case, Canadians could experience delays in processing and delivery as the service provider recovers from disruptions.
Canada Post has been experiencing deep financial trouble since 2018, revealing they have recorded $3 billion in losses before tax plus “another significant loss” in 2024.
In January, the federal government announced the company would get access to a repayable funding of $1.034 billion for 2025 and 2026, available under the Canada Post Corporation Act, to keep the company from shutting down operations and not being able to meet financial obligations.
“Canada Post is a critical service that connects Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It is often a lifeline for Canadians in rural, remote, and northern communities, and is vital to ensuring that these communities, that often have limited access to alternative mail and parcel delivery services, are not left behind,” the government said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the CUPW is speaking out about Industrial Inquiry Commission Commissioner William Kaplan’s recommendations in a statement on Friday after a meeting with Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu and the Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli.
The union says it “fundamentally disagree(s) with the bulk of its recommendations,” which include adjusted pay and benefits, inclusion of weekend part-time workers who get the same pay and benefits as other workers, a simpler way to introduce stamp price increases and other recommendations.
“These recommendations amount to service cuts, contracting out, and major rollbacks to important provisions in our existing collective agreements. There is also no guarantee that if these changes are made, Canada Post will increase its parcel business. Canada Post’s proposals have not been fully costed, nor have we been provided with concrete actionable plans,” CUPW wrote in a statement.
The union currently anticipates three possibilities ahead of the May 23 deadline, including a final offer to be put into vote, imposed interest arbitration or a strike.
CANADIANS HAVE MIXED FEELINGS OVER POSSIBLE STRIKE
Meanwhile, many Canadians online are reacting to the possibility of a strike, with many even calling for the privatization of the service and highlighting its deep financial issues.
“I think Canadians should vote on the future of CanadaPost. I don’t need daily mail service for snail mail. Twice a week is fine, maybe even just once per week would suffice. Privatize delivery and give walking papers to anyone that wants them,” one X user suggested.
“Canada Post is broke. Taxpayers cannot continue to accept $1 billion payout to resuscitate Canada Post. Nothing useful comes in the mail anymore. It’s an outdated concept,” another user said.
“I feel like a strike could make Canada Post take a massive hit. It sucks that some employees didn’t choose this and now they’ll be left without pay again,” a different user chimed in.
On the other hand, some Canadians are siding with the union, saying that workers deserve better pay.
“Canada Post strike just in time for me to not get my birthday present… I don’t care [though because] I support workers… a better birthday present would be a good deal for canada post workers and not to have the government legislate them back to work and give them nothing,” a user wrote in an X post.
“I know the workers with Canada Post work hard and I try to thank them when I see them. You won’t get insulted by me. I hope it works out for you all,” a different user pointed out.
