Canada Post workers could be back on the picket lines as early as 12 a.m. on Friday, May 23rd, after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) issued a strike notice on Monday.
The move marks a continuation of stalled negotiations from late 2024, when a 32-day strike disrupted service and led to a massive backlog of mail and parcels.
That strike was paused in December when the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered workers back on the job just 10 days before Christmas.
But now, with the CIRB’s imposed agreement extension expiring on May 22nd, and no new deal in place, CUPW says it’s ready to walk out again.
The strike would affect both urban and rural bargaining units, representing roughly 55,000 workers. While operations are expected to continue in some capacity, customers across Canada should anticipate service delays.
Adding to the tension is a newly released report from the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC), which paints a bleak picture of the national postal service’s future. According to the report, Canada Post is “effectively bankrupt” and facing an “existential crisis.”
Commissioner William Kaplan, tasked with investigating the ongoing dispute and the broader state of the Crown corporation, issued seven recommendations intended to preserve Canada Post as a national institution.
These include:
- Phasing out door-to-door residential delivery, while maintaining daily service for businesses
- Lifting the moratorium on post office closures and allowing conversion to community mailboxes
- Creating part-time positions to handle extra volume, with equal pay and benefits
- Simplifying stamp price increases and introducing flexible routing systems
The CUPW responded with strong opposition to the report, saying it “fundamentally disagrees with the bulk of its recommendations and challenges some of the information on which it was based.”
Canada Post, while owned by the federal government, operates independently under the Canada Post Corporation Act. It has recorded more than $3 billion in losses since 2018 and is projected to lose more in 2024.
Dan Kelly, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), warned of the consequences if no deal is reached.
“Last year’s postal strike came at a brutal time and cost small businesses over $1 billion,” said Kelly. “With small business confidence already near historic lows, we cannot afford another disruption to this critical service.”
He called on both parties to resolve the dispute, and urged the federal government to intervene if necessary.
“We need reforms to ensure Canada Post’s long-term sustainability, but we also need to protect businesses and Canadians from further service breakdowns,” Kelly said.
As the May 23rd deadline looms, pressure is mounting on both sides to reach a deal—or risk another wave of delays, backlogs, and economic fallout across the country.
