St. Albert businesses were preparing for the worst this week as Canada Post workers were poised to go on strike as early as Friday.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) issued a 72-hour strike notice early on Nov. 12. Their employer, Canada Post, issued a 72-hour lockout notice to the union later that day. The moves mean that a strike or lockout of Canada’s postal workers could happen as early as Nov. 15, slowing or stopping mail service nationwide.
Canada Post and CUPW have been negotiating a new collective agreement since Nov. 15, 2023, said James Ball, acting president of CUPW 730 (which includes all St. Albert postal workers). The union deemed the company’s initial two offers to be unacceptable and voted 95 per cent in favour of a strike mandate on Oct. 25.
“Canada Post has had a year, and they haven’t been interested in bargaining with us,” Ball said.
Ball said the union and Canada Post were still far apart on many issues, including wages.
“Since 2006, our beginner employees have lost almost 50 per cent of their purchasing power,” Ball said.
“We’re not asking for a raise. We’re just asking to maintain our purchasing power.”
In an Oct. 29 release, Canada Post said it had offered the union a 11.5 per cent wage hike over four years, amongst other items.
The union and Canada Post could still reach a deal before Friday and avert a strike or lockout, Ball said. The union could also do a rotating strike (as they did for a month in 2018) or a work-to-rule campaign instead of a full strike. Any of these scenarios would delay or stop the flow of Canadian mail.
In a Nov. 12 news release, Canada Post said that it planned to continue delivering mail in the event of a rotating strike. The company and the union have agreed to continue delivering government cheques for seniors and others during any labour disruption.
“A labour disruption would affect the millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on the postal service, and deepen the company’s already serious financial situation,” it said in the release.
Ball called on Canadians to ask their MPs to press Canada Post for a better deal.
Businesses prepare
St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce chair Rosanna Fischer said a Canada Post strike could spell disaster for many area businesses, especially e-commerce outlets.
“A lot of these businesses rely heavily on the postal service for affordable shipping,” she said, and make most of their money during the November–December Christmas rush.
A postal strike could force some companies to stockpile goods to avoid shortages or switch to more expensive couriers, both of which would raise costs. Her company, KDM Management, uses Canada Post all the time, and might need to hand-deliver important letters if a strike occurred.
Barry Bailey of St. Albert’s Bailey Books was packaging a load of books when reached by the Gazette Nov. 12, hoping to get it in the mail before the strike began.
“For us, [Canada Post] is our method of shipping worldwide,” he said, and applied to about 25 per cent of their sales.
Bailey said his company would have to switch to private delivery services in the event of a prolonged strike. He noted that such a strike would happen just as many people were starting to ship and order parcels for Christmas.
“For some businesses, it’s going to be catastrophic.”
Evan Jamison, vice-president manufacturing for Great West Media, said a strike would not affect most deliveries of the St. Albert Gazette, as most issues were distributed by newspaper carriers.
“It’s a bigger problem in the rural areas,” he said, where many couriers don’t operate and Canada Post is the only practical delivery service around.
Jamison said many of Great West’s clients (such as Alberta Farmer and The Northern Horizon) rely heavily on Canada Post for distribution, and were now debating what to do in the event of a postal strike. Great West’s own newspapers (such as the Okotoks Western Wheel) would be available online and at their publisher’s offices should a strike occur.
Visit canadapost.ca/negotiations or cupw.ca for updates on this labour dispute.
