In the lead-up to the holiday shipping season, Canada Post is on the brink of a potential labour disruption as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) issued a 72-hour strike notice on Tuesday.
While workers will be legally entitled to strike this Friday, whether they will walk off the job remains uncertain as bargaining continues.
CUPW released a statement confirming the notice but emphasized that no final decision has been made about immediate job action.
“Although we’ve given notice to Canada Post, the National Executive Board has not yet determined whether job action will take place immediately,” said the union. The decision, according to CUPW, will hinge on how negotiations proceed over the next few days.
The union has been negotiating new contracts for nearly a year, representing both the urban operations unit and the rural and suburban mail carriers (RSMC) unit.
Despite extensive talks, significant differences remain between CUPW and Canada Post, particularly concerning wage increases, medical benefits, and workplace accommodations.
The union cited unresolved issues around paid medical leave, coverage for health services, fertility and gender-affirming care, and protections for pregnant and breastfeeding employees.
In response, Canada Post acknowledged receipt of the strike notice in a statement, noting that CUPW would be in a legal position to initiate strike activities starting November 15th at 12:01 a.m. ET.
The Crown corporation further clarified that if agreements are not reached, current collective contracts will be nullified as of Friday.
“In the event of a labour disruption, the Corporation will work to minimize service disruptions, but customers may experience delays,” Canada Post stated, warning that strikes—even rotating ones—could significantly affect their network and lead to prolonged delays for businesses and customers alike.
Historically, Canada Post workers have opted for rotating strikes to reduce customer impact, though a full-scale strike remains a possibility.
Conversely, Canada Post could also initiate a lockout, effectively halting operations.
With Canadians and businesses heavily reliant on postal services during the holiday season, any disruptions could have widespread implications.
Canada Post recorded a loss of $748 million, and in 2022, it recorded a loss of $548 million.
