Mail delivery is set to cautiously resume across Canada as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) shifts from a nationwide strike to rotating work stoppages starting Saturday morning. The union’s late-Thursday announcement paves the way for parcels and letters to start moving again, though not without uncertainty.
Canada Post welcomed the decision, saying Friday afternoon that it is preparing for a “safe and orderly restart” of operations, with services gradually resuming next week. However, postal officials warned that rotating strikes will continue to disrupt the flow of mail, forcing the suspension of all service guarantees.
“This will start mail and parcels moving, while continuing our struggle for good collective agreements and a strong public postal service,” said CUPW national president Jan Simpson. Local branches will receive their rotation schedules closer to their respective stoppage dates.
For small businesses, the news is a relief — but only partially. “While it is good news to see some resumption of service, rotating strikes will mean continued uncertainty, backlogs, delayed deliveries and frustrated customers,” said Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Dan Kelly. He criticized CUPW’s strategy as “bizarre,” arguing it risked pushing customers toward more reliable private alternatives.
CUPW, representing 55,000 postal workers, launched the countrywide strike on September 25, just hours after the federal government unveiled major changes to Canada Post’s business model. These included phasing out door-to-door delivery for most households, converting the remaining four million addresses to community mailboxes to save $400 million annually, and lifting a 30-year moratorium on closing rural post offices.
Non-urgent mail will also shift from air to ground transport, reflecting reduced volumes and saving an estimated $20 million per year.
Federal minister Joël Lightbound, responsible for Canada Post, welcomed CUPW’s decision to switch to rotating strikes, calling it “good news” for Canadians who rely on mail. The move followed a meeting between the union and the minister, where CUPW voiced strong objections to the government’s modernization plans.
“We could not stand by as the government announced its plans to allow Canada Post to gut our postal service and slash thousands of our jobs,” Simpson said, accusing the Crown corporation of “making a mockery of the bargaining process.”
Canada Post, for its part, said it is awaiting the union’s response to its latest offer, tabled October 3. The corporation stressed the need to realign its business model to reduce dependence on taxpayers. Federal mediators remain on standby to help both sides reach a deal.
As negotiations continue, Canadians can expect their mailboxes to be a little busier next week — but not necessarily on time.