Canadians can expect ongoing mail delays as Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) move into the next phase of their labour dispute.
CUPW announced Thursday that it will transition from a nationwide strike to rotating strikes beginning at 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, Oct. 11. The change will see select postal facilities across the country temporarily shut down on a rotating basis while others remain in operation.
Canada Post said it will begin welcoming employees back and restarting its national network, which was shut down on Sept. 25 following the union’s sudden national walkout. However, the corporation warned customers to expect delays as it resumes operations amid continuing instability.
“Shutting down and restarting parts of our integrated national network with rotating strikes has always challenged our ability to provide reliable service,” the corporation said in a statement, adding that all service guarantees remain suspended.
Canada Post said mail and parcels already in its system will be processed first, but it will take time to clear the backlog and restore regular service. New commercial volumes will not be accepted until Wednesday, Oct. 15, and on-time delivery guarantees for parcels remain suspended.
CUPW said the decision to move to rotating strikes was made to get mail moving again while continuing to press for new collective agreements.
“Postal workers would much rather have new collective agreements and be delivering mail instead of taking strike action,” said national president Jan Simpson. “Yet, 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.”
The union accused the corporation of undermining the bargaining process and said it will continue to fight for “strong public services, good jobs, and a sustainable public post office for all Canadians.”
Canada Post, meanwhile, is urging CUPW to return to the bargaining table. The corporation said it presented new offers on Oct. 3 that are “affordable and treat employees fairly,” emphasizing that only new collective agreements will restore confidence in the postal system.
