What's going on with the Canada Post strikes?

Kevin Maimann · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 07, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 7

More than a period into rotating Canada Post strikes, workers and the businesses that usage the nationalist postal work are grappling with uncertainty.

Toronto postal idiosyncratic Helen Karrandjas says she’s feeling frustrated arsenic she waits for a resolution, but for now, everything is "business arsenic usual" for workers.

She says the interaction of the rotating strikes has been “quite negligible” connected the ground. But she besides says she tin recognize wherefore the unpredictability is making immoderate customers nervous, arsenic vacation buying play kicks into afloat gear.

“At this point, honestly, arsenic a postal worker, I bash not privation to spot immoderate of my customers' parcels get trapped successful the message strategy with a precocious strike,” she said. 

“With the meetings going connected and nary quality astir immoderate negotiations, it's hard to accidental what is going to assistance the situation.”

The rolling strikes person truthful acold avoided large municipality centres, and astir Canadians are inactive capable to nonstop message and parcels.

Karrandjas says workers cheque the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) website each time to spot which section is connected strike. Several weeks in, she has not had to strike. Right now, she feels the workers don't person immoderate leverage successful the negotiations.

CUPW launched a nationwide onslaught successful precocious September aft the national authorities announced sweeping changes to the Crown corporation, including authorizing it to extremity location transportation for the 4 cardinal addresses that inactive person it. 

The government’s program besides includes lifting a moratorium connected closing agrarian station offices, which covers astir 4,000 locations. 

CUPW, representing 55,000 postal workers, switched to rotating strikes by Oct. 11, restoring message work successful astir places. Workers successful parts of Quebec and Ontario person stopped delivering flyers, but proceed to present addressed mail. 

But a Retail Council of Canada spokesperson said the "inconsistencies" successful the exertion of the rotating strikes are causing "significant variability" successful deliveries crossed Canada.

"This efficaciously means that work is unreliable and causes sizeable vexation for some retailers and Canadian consumers," spokesperson Santo Ligotti said successful an email.

"Moving to rotational strikes took the unit off, but it has changed precise small connected the ground, and work is severely limited."

Canada Post workers are joined by CUPE national members arsenic they clasp a rally extracurricular MP Julie Dabrusin's bureau successful Toronto successful October. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

Negotiations restarted this week

CUPW said it returned to the negotiating array with Canada Post connected Monday for the archetypal clip successful a month. The 2 sides person been negotiating a caller corporate statement for much than a twelvemonth and a half.

A onslaught and lockout during the engaged vacation play past twelvemonth lasted much than a month, ending lone aft the labour curate directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to bid employees backmost to enactment nether Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. CUPW and different unions person argued the usage of Section 107, which the existent Liberal authorities has invoked respective times, violates workers' charter rights.

In February, Canada Post laid disconnected dozens of managers arsenic a cost-cutting measure.

The Crown corp has not turned a nett since 2017, and reported a $1.3-billion nonaccomplishment past year. It says it's connected way to suffer $1.5 cardinal this year, staying afloat with a $1-billion authorities loan, though CUPW has suggested Canada Post is embellishing immoderate of those numbers.

Tuesday's national fund made conscionable 1 notation of Canada Post, saying the authorities plans to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to let the corp to acceptable postage rates.

It's a alteration CUPW has agelong supported, saying debased stamp prices are a large origin for the corporation's fiscal woes. The institution has raised akin concerns.

Canada Post preparing for layoffs: prof

The national has accused Canada Post and the authorities of creating the conditions that thrust down request for its missive and parcel services.

In September, CUPW rejected the government's connection of a 13 per cent wage increase, saying it fell abbreviated of its request of 19 per cent. While CUPW said it was consenting to enactment with Canada Post to let play transportation and the summation of part-time workers, it said the corp walked distant from the negotiating table.

The national did not supply CBC News with an interrogation by property time, but said successful a connection it is "focused connected overcoming disagreements betwixt the parties and advancing negotiations."

A Canada Post spokesperson told CBC News successful an email that the corp is committed to reaching a colony and understands "the value of providing certainty for employees and Canadians."

Gilles LeVasseur, professor of absorption and instrumentality astatine the University of Ottawa, says the rotating strikes are not doing the national immoderate favours and are besides harming the Canada Post brand.

“It conscionable frustrates the public, oregon frustrates Canada Post and indirectly the government. And past you get radical really choosing to spell determination else,” helium told CBC News. 

WATCH | Is determination a way guardant for Canada Post?:

But the national has to instrumentality action, helium says, to showcase to workers that it’s inactive progressive and has authority. 

“It keeps the momentum and keeps the unit and keeps radical believing that something's going to happen."

LeVasseur says layoffs volition beryllium coming alongside the government's planned changes, but Canada Post needs clip to enactment retired precisely what those changes volition outgo and however galore jobs to eliminate. 

Sorting retired the details of ending location message delivery, mounting up caller mailboxes, and closing agrarian station offices could instrumentality 3 oregon 4 years, helium says. 

LeVasseur says occupation information for workers is apt the union's cardinal negotiating constituent astatine this stage.

“What Canada Post is going to bash is effort to get a deal, and past they're going to marque cuts,” helium said. “They're not going to bash cuts oregon reorganization until they adjacent a deal.”