Negotiations updates

Canada Post will welcome back employees represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) on Saturday, October 11 as the union moves from a full, national strike to rotating strikes. Plans are now underway to ensure a safe and orderly restart of our national operations, which were shut down without warning on September 25 following the union’s sudden national strike.

While postal services will begin to resume next week, uncertainty and instability in the postal service will continue with the union’s decision to conduct rotating strikes.

Shutting down and restarting parts of our integrated national network with rotating strikes has always challenged our ability to provide reliable service to customers. As a result, all service guarantees will be suspended.

Moving from a full, national strike to rotating strikes

With CUPW’s announcement to move to rotating strikes starting Saturday, October 11 at 6:00 am local time, we will have to manage both resuming operations and potential disruption at select facilities. At this time, we are not aware of which locations will be impacted when rotating strike activity begins.

What this means for your business

Given the duration of the national strike and with rotating strikes expected, when our operations resume we will need to begin processing the mail and parcels trapped in our network.

As we continue to operate with an unstable network, it will take time to clear the trapped volume and manage operational resources, so customers should expect delays in processing and delivery.

Some limitations will apply after our operations resume – including for pickups and drop-offs. Because of this, new commercial volumes will not be accepted into the network until Wednesday, October 15. This means we will not pick up or accept mail or parcels at our plants or depots until this date.

In addition, on-time delivery guarantees for parcel services remain suspended and date-specific Neighbourhood Mail will not be available. We will notify you as soon as we are able to resume these services.

We’re committed to keeping you informed and providing you with more details on what to expect over the next few days. Look for more information in advance of Wednesday.

What to expect during rotating strikes

Rotating strike activity may be isolated to specific locations, affecting those areas for a specified period of time. 

During a rotating strike, Canada Post will accept, process and deliver mail and parcels in unaffected areas, but you can still expect delays.

Once an item is inducted in our network, it will be secure but cannot be retrieved if that facility is affected by a rotating strike. Items will be delivered as quickly as possible after a disruption is over and operations resume. 

More than 170 days of damaging strike action in less than a year

In the last year, Canadians and Canadian businesses have been subject to more than 170 days of strike activity by the CUPW including two national strikes. The only pause in strike activity occurred during the Industrial Inquiry Commission process, which was ordered by the Government.

This prolonged period of instability, uncertainty and disruption has significantly impacted Canadians and Canadian businesses, often without warning. As a result, they have moved to other carriers or are avoiding Canada Post altogether. The move to a different form of strike activity will not change that.

The impact on the company’s already dire financial position is significant and mounting. With continued uncertainty and the expiry of collective agreements, Canada Post will be required to adjust operations to our current business realities moving forward. 

It's time for CUPW to return to the bargaining table

Canada Post has urged CUPW to return to the bargaining table to reach new collective agreements.

The company is waiting to hear back from the union on its latest offers presented to the union on October 3. These offers put forward proposals that are affordable and treat employees fairly given the challenges we face. Only new collective agreements will provide the certainty Canadians require to confidently use the postal system.

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.

Stay up to date

We’re committed to providing you with timely updates and the details you need. Get the latest information at canadapost.ca/negotiations.