Canada Post Rotating Strikes: Limiting Holiday Shipping Disruptions
With labor unrest ongoing, experts advise businesses relying on Canada Post to communicate proactively with customers and diversify their shipping channels. The rotating strikes by Canada Post employees, represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), come just as the holiday delivery surge begins.
The government-owned postal carrier faced a full-scale national strike during last year’s holiday season when negotiations for new labor contracts stalled. As a result, operations paused nationwide, causing widespread delivery delays. The labor dispute has persisted into 2025, marked by an overtime ban, halted delivery of unaddressed direct mail, and intermittent work stoppages across regions.
In October, CUPW transitioned from a full strike to rotating walkouts, disrupting mail and parcel collection or delivery in different localities. As of this week, strikes are underway in the Ontario communities of London and Cobourg, while 18 other areas have faced similar disruptions since the campaign began.
“Once the strike is over in a given location, the delivery of mail and parcels will restart as quickly as possible once operations resume,” said Canada Post.
Meanwhile, CUPW National President Jan Simpson noted that employees in parts of Ontario and Quebec are still refraining from processing or delivering unaddressed advertising mail, except in limited zones.
Summary
Experts stress that open communication and flexible delivery strategies can help businesses minimize the impact of Canada Post’s rotating strikes during the holiday season.