Canada Post Rotating Strikes: Managing Holiday Shipping Challenges
As labor disruptions continue, experts advise businesses using Canada Post to stay transparent with customers and diversify their shipping channels. The strikes threaten to complicate the already busy holiday delivery period.
Background and Dispute
Canada Post employees, represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), have initiated rotating strikes as talks over new labor contracts remain unresolved. The state-owned postal carrier faced a full national strike during last year’s holiday season, which caused nationwide delivery disruptions.
The labor dispute has persisted into 2025, triggering an overtime ban, a pause on unaddressed direct mail deliveries, and another countrywide strike. In October, CUPW scaled back the large-scale protests to a series of rotating work stoppages.
Current Strike Activity
According to Canada Post, as of Tuesday, strikes were active in the Ontario cities of London and Cobourg. Eighteen other locations have experienced temporary shutdowns since early October, as delivery operations repeatedly halt and resume.
“Once the strike is over in a given location, the delivery of mail and parcels will restart as quickly as possible once operations resume,” Canada Post said.
Service Limitations
Employees have temporarily stopped processing and delivering unaddressed advertising mail across parts of Ontario and Quebec. Some regions are excluded from these suspensions.
“Employees are also not processing or delivering unaddressed advertising mail in the Ontario and Quebec regions, excluding certain areas,” said CUPW National President Jan Simpson.
Author’s Summary
Canada Post’s rotating strikes amid unresolved labor talks threaten holiday shipping reliability, prompting businesses to adapt through clearer communication and alternative delivery strategies.