Canada Post is on strike once again after the federal government announced some major changes that will be coming to the Crown corporation.
Now that the picket line has been set down, you might be wondering what’s going to happen to your mail. Or even worse: a package that you have on the way right now.
WHY ARE CANADA POST WORKERS STRIKING?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a few things you need to know about the strike itself.
Namely, the reason Canada Post workers are on strike is because of those aforementioned “major changes” that are coming to the corporation. They will significantly affect how mail is delivered, meaning how the workers will work and how you will receive your deliveries. These changes are part of a plan to reportedly bring Canada Post back from the brink of financial destitution.
In the past year, the corporation has lost more than $1 billion, with 2025 shaping up to be even worse. While Minister Joel Lightbound said that these delivery changes are to save Canada Post, the union disagreed, claiming that customers are heading for other mail carriers.
Canada Post workers were “outraged” when they learned of the federal government’s decision, and confirmed the nationwide strike. Canada Post itself has accepted the changes but has not commented on the workers’ strike.
5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CANADA POST STRIKE
THE STRIKE BEGINS NOW
That’s right– the strike is happening right now.
In reality, Canada Post has been on strike since the holiday season back in December. The only reason the workers returned to their posts was because the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered them back on behalf of the labour minister.
In a statement, Canada Post said that it was “disappointed that the union chose to escalate their strike activity, which will further deteriorate Canada Post’s financial situation.”
All workers are expected to be striking once again on Friday, with many already having started on Thursday.
THE MAJOR CHANGES
The federal government’s decision was to ultimately end Canada Post’s home delivery and close a number of rural mail outlets.
The 2015 moratorium on converting home delivery to community mailboxes has now been lifted, meaning that if you received your mail directly to your personal address, it will now be sent to your community mailbox. A quarter of all Canadians still receive their mail directly, and the decision has raised accessibility concerns by some citizens, including those of older age.
According to Lightbound, this decision will save Canada Post around $400 million annually.
Another moratorium– this one from 1994– is also being lifted on rural post offices, affecting nearly 4,000 locations. Since many rural areas have grown into suburban or urban areas in the decades since the moratorium, Canada Post will now be permitted to close post offices that are as close as 400 metres from each other.
Rural, remote, and Indigenous communities will not lose access to their mail, Lightbound insisted.
WHEN WILL THESE CHANGES COME?
Potentially, not for a while.
Lightbound has estimated that home deliveries converting to community mailboxes will take nearly a decade. Although, some communities may see it come faster. As for Canada Post, it has 45 days to create a plan outline on how it will implement these changes.
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO MY MAIL?
That’s the question that’s on everyone’s mind. If you’re expecting something to be delivered through Canada Post, don’t expect it for a while.
During the strike, Canada Post has said in a statement that no mail nor parcels will be processed or delivered. “No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over.”
Things like benefit cheques and live animals will be delivered through the strike. Moreover, any mail and parcels that are waiting in the postal network limbo will be delivered as soon as possible once operations resume, said the statement.
HOW LONG WILL THE STRIKE LAST?
As of now, it remains unclear.
If you remember the CUPW’s (Canadian Union of Postal Workers) last strike, then you’ll recall that it lasted a fair amount of time before the postal workers were ordered back to work. The strike stretched for 32 days. And that was with the Canada Industrial Relations Board demanding them to get back to their posts.
Either way, some big changes are coming to Canada Post.
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