Could Holiday Mail Face Another Slowdown in Canada?
Here’s what’s happening right now with the ongoing situation involving Canada Post workers and why people are starting to worry as the holiday season gets closer. It’s been almost a year since the nationwide strike in November 2024, when more than 55,000 postal workers walked off the job and left millions of letters and parcels undelivered. That disruption caused major headaches for families, small businesses, and anyone relying on Canada Post’s network — especially those in rural or remote communities.
Now, with another holiday rush approaching, talks between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) are still ongoing. The two sides haven’t reached a deal yet, even with federal mediators involved, and Canada Post has already submitted a business overhaul plan to the government. At the same time, rotating strikes are happening in certain locations, with short, targeted work stoppages that disrupt parts of the national network. Because these rotating strikes require parts of the system to be shut down and restarted, Canada Post says that stable service still “isn’t there,” and all delivery guarantees — including on-time parcel guarantees — have been suspended.
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From the union’s side, CUPW says it wants to leave the uncertainty behind by negotiating a settlement that both sides can accept. But they also say they still haven’t been given details of the restructuring plan Canada Post filed with the government, which adds another complication to the bargaining process. So, while the union hasn’t confirmed whether a full strike could happen again soon, it also hasn’t ruled anything out.
For many people, the memory of November 2024 is still fresh. During that strike, almost 10 million parcels went undelivered in just two weeks. Regular letters, business shipments, and even handwritten notes to Santa were caught in the delays. Private courier companies like FedEx, UPS, and Purolator became emergency alternatives, but their higher prices and capacity limits made them inaccessible for some smaller businesses. Many couriers also became overwhelmed and stopped accepting new shipments altogether.
Even after postal workers were ordered back to work by the federal labour relations board, the backlog took weeks to clear — and some holiday deliveries barely made it in time for Christmas. That chaos led Ottawa to launch an Industrial Inquiry Commission, which reported earlier this year that Canada Post was “effectively insolvent.” Recommendations included ending daily letter delivery, expanding community mailboxes, and extending parcel delivery into weekends. Despite the plan, Canada Post later reported a record quarterly loss of $407 million, adding even more pressure to the situation.
All of this is creating real anxiety for small business owners heading into one of their most important seasons. Many depend on Canada Post because it’s the lowest-cost option and reaches customers in places other carriers don’t. But after a year filled with disruptions, confidence has taken a hit. Some businesses now hesitate to ship through Canada Post at all, worried that another sudden job action could leave them unable to meet customer demand.
So while a full strike hasn’t been declared, the uncertainty alone is already casting a shadow over the holidays. Negotiations continue — but until an agreement is reached, Canadians are being encouraged to plan ahead and keep a close eye on delivery timelines.
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