Commonwealth—After nearly two weeks of disruptions across the country, Canada Post announced that mail delivery across the country will resume next week. The announcement came after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) switched from a national walkout to rotating strikes, a tactic that is to see incremental but partial resumption of postal services.
Friday evening, a statement from Canada Post indicated that it “will begin to welcome back employees represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)” on Saturday. The government organization indicated that while mail delivery will resume, there remains a delicate situation regarding rotating strikes by the union.
Uncertainty and volatility in postal operations will continue with the union’s decision to hold rotating strikes,” the company said. “Preparations are underway to resume our national operations safely and in an orderly fashion.” The rotating strikes are to begin on Saturday at 6 a.m. local time in impacted areas. Canada Post also stated that for this period, its service guarantees will remain suspended, accepting the fact that delivery times may be significantly differentiated depending on impacted areas due to the rotating work stoppages.
The plan to reopen, the company states, is to phase the reopening of mail and parcel deliveries with guarantees to bring employees back to work. The postal company went on to say that it is engaging with the regional distribution hubs and transport partners in an attempt to transition from total closure to rotating disruptions.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers cast their vote to organize rotating strikes, referring to the action as one that would continue to pressure the employer but in a less inconvenient way for members of the public. The union referred to the action as one that is hard but necessary to pursue equitable working conditions and greater job security.
We did not make the decision to move into national strike mode lightly,” the union responded. “Postal workers would far rather have new collective agreements and sorting letters, than being on strike.”
It followed a day after Canada Post’s federal minister sat down with CUPW leaders, something the union had hoped would reinvigorate stale talks. The overarching issues between the Crown corporation and the union remain the same that drove them apart, including intended overhauls of service delivery, personnel, and compensation.
The walkout nationwide was to vent outrage over the reorganization of Canadian Post operations proposed by the government, including cuts in door-to-door postal delivery, the closure of a few post offices, and new policies aimed at cutting down inefficiency. The union argued that the reforms would lead to dismissals, illness of service, and added pressure on postal employees, particularly in rural areas and outlying regions.
Canada Post argues that reforms are necessary to address its long-term financial issues. The company has been operating at a loss due to declining mail volume and increasing operating costs, accumulating losses of over $5 billion since 2018. The federal government provided the postal service with $1 billion in loans earlier this year in a bid to remain in operation despite continued labor unrest and financial crisis.
The corporation opines that the Canadian postal service can survive in the long run only with modernization. “Canada Post is part of the fabric of Canada, but it’s in crisis for its very existence,” a witness testified last week. “Burning through $10 million a day is not sustainable, and Canadians can’t continue to pay that price.”
In this economic climate, CUPW asserts that the corporation’s modernization initiative prioritizes optimal returns over service. The union has accused management of disregarding job-preserving concepts in its adaptation to the increased volume of packages and mail.
Since both parties are ready to proceed with the next round of talks, rotating strikes will therefore continue to affect delivery times throughout different parts of the country in coming weeks. Canada Post asked businesspeople and customers to visit its website for details on affected areas and delivery times.
Although Canadians can expect mail delivery to resume next week, problems remain. The ongoing labor dispute illustrates the bigger challenge for Canada’s postal service—how to reconcile modernization and profitability with good work conditions and on-time service to the public.
