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The Canada Post strike is officially over, but what does that mean for Canadians wanting to send festive cards and gifts to their loved ones?
Negotiations between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post have not gone well, forcing the federal government to intervene.
A statement from Canada Post reads, “After two days of hearings, the CIRB has issued its ruling confirming the parties are at an impasse. As a result, the CIRB has ordered employees to return to work and postal operations to resume at 8 a.m. local time on December 17, 2024.”
Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon said both parties are “unlikely to reach a deal by the end of the year.”
Postal services will resume on Tuesday. The Canada Industrial Relations Board has found that Canada Post and CUPW are unlikely to reach a deal by the end of the year. The Board has therefore ordered an extension of the current collective agreements, and a resumption of…
— Steven MacKinnon (@stevenmackinnon) December 16, 2024
But as service resumes during the busy holiday season, what does that mean for your mail?
According to the Canada Post website, delivery time depends on distance, which can “be affected by holidays and seasonal volume.”
The website currently states that mail could take two business days within your local area, three business days within your province, four business days across Canada, and up to seven business days for international mail. So, if you drop your cards off tomorrow, they will likely arrive before Christmas.
On November 26, Canada Post said it was down over 11 million parcels since the strike began. It’s unclear how the backlog from the month-long strike will affect processing times.
We have contacted Canada Post for more information on how the Crown corporation plans to address the current backlog and how it will affect new mail.
On November 15, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced that over 55,000 employees nationwide were officially on strike just before the busy holiday season. Some of the workers’ demands included wage increases, additional short-term disability pay and an additional 10 days of paid medical leave.
“Our commitment has always been to reach negotiated agreements with CUPW that would help us better serve the changing needs of Canadians and provide good jobs to those who provide the service,” stated Canada Post. “We remain committed to doing so within this new process while also meeting the postal needs of Canadians.”
With files from Isabelle Docto
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