Rotating Strikes Replace Nationwide Shutdown
Canadians can expect mail service to resume on Tuesday, after Canada Post workers end their two-week nationwide strike and shift to rotating job action beginning Saturday morning.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), representing 55,000 employees, said the change allows most workers to return while still keeping pressure on the Crown corporation amid stalled contract talks.
“[With] the majority of our workers back to work, people are able to go out and talk to the public,” said Jim Gallant, a CUPW negotiator. “The public sees what worth there is in the post office.”
Ottawa’s Reforms Spark Showdown
The union’s dispute goes beyond wages. Postal workers are protesting Ottawa’s plan to end home delivery and close rural outlets to cut losses at Canada Post.
The company hasn’t turned a profit since 2017, posting a $1.3-billion loss last year and projecting $1.5 billion in red ink this year. The Crown corporation currently relies on a $1-billion government loan to stay afloat.
CUPW claims the losses are exaggerated and argues that cuts will cripple a public service vital to rural and older Canadians.
“They’re going to cut the arms and legs off it,” Gallant said. “Canadians need to call their MPs; they need to go to their city council.”
Labour relations expert Rafael Gomez said the union faces a “balancing act,” trying to pressure management without alienating the public.
Mixed Reactions from Businesses and Rural Communities
The resumption of deliveries comes as a relief for small businesses relying on Christmas-season sales. Kathryn Gallagher Morton, founder of Maplelea Dolls, said she was “thrilled” to hear mail would flow again after last year’s disruptions cost her over $300,000.
Still, Gallagher Morton said she supports a downsized postal model, echoing Ottawa’s argument for modernization. “The whole world has to shift. Times are changing,” she said.
Others disagree. Lori Hoddinott, mayor of McNab/Braeside, Ont., warned that eliminating home delivery would leave seniors and farmers stranded. “If it’s 15 kilometres down a rural winter road to get to the mail, they’re not going to do it every day,” she said.
Canada Post has said people with mobility issues can apply for weekly home delivery options.
Negotiations Still Stalled
Canada Post said Friday it welcomes its employees back but warned customers to expect “uncertainty and instability” as rotating strikes continue.
The company’s latest offer, made Oct. 3, includes a 13.59 per cent wage increase over four years, improved health and retirement benefits, and up to seven weeks’ vacation — but drops a signing bonus it says it can no longer afford.
CUPW dismissed the proposal as “a step backwards.” The union says it will maintain rotating strikes until a fair deal is reached or decide to escalate again.
“Different people will be off work continually until either we have a collective agreement or the union decides to change our strike activity,” Gallant said.
Outlook
Canada Post maintains that restructuring is essential to survival. “The need to align the business to the current needs of the country, to reduce the dependency on taxpayer dollars, grows more urgent each day this strike continues,” the corporation said in a statement.
For now, postal workers are back — but their message to Canadians is clear: the future of a full-service post office depends on public support.
