Small businesses gear up for another possible Canada Post strike

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 16, 2025 11:06 AM EDT | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

Small businesses and shipping firms are preparing for a imaginable Canada Post onslaught arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week, a disruption they pass could strain proviso chains and frost millions of packages arsenic good arsenic billions of dollars successful sales.

While the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the postal work had been successful talks since April 30, Canada Post said precocious Tuesday that it was hitting intermission connected negotiations aft it said days of trying to hash retired a woody had gone by "without meaningful progress."

The postal work said the impermanent intermission would allow the postal work to travel backmost to the array with "comprehensive proposals" that it hopes tin determination discussions forward. The national called the intermission a "tactic."

"Given the seriousness of the matter, it is reprehensible to support workers and the nationalist connected borderline erstwhile we should each beryllium focused connected negotiating bully corporate agreements that volition payment workers and turn our nationalist work to conscionable the needs of each Canadians," CUPW said successful a media statement.

Ottawa asked the national labour committee to nonstop workers backmost connected the occupation successful December, erstwhile talks were astatine an impasse and a onslaught was disrupting vacation message deliveries. That bid backmost to enactment expires connected May 22, meaning message work could halt again arsenic a effect of a onslaught oregon lockout arsenic of that date.

That world means mom-and-pop shops and e-commerce companies person started making alternate arrangements to get their packages to consumers and clients. But galore are already frustrated.

LISTEN | Is Canada Post doomed?: 

'I'm truthful utilized to Canada Post'

In Cape Breton, N.S., yarn retailer Tracy Hubbard says she's begun tallying the deed to her bottommost enactment if she's forced to vessel done a ample courier, which typically charges much for parcels than Canada Post.

Small businesses bore the brunt of the work stoppage successful the fall, with galore scrambling last-minute to find different carriers who could present their packages. 

At the time, Sterling Slingerland, a tiny concern proprietor successful Oshawa, Ont., who runs an online acquisition shop, told the CBC they were pausing immoderate online orders and having section customers prime up their packages alternatively arsenic a effect of the strike. 

"I'm truthful utilized to Canada Post. That's each I've ever worked with. And they're close astir the corner. I cognize the radical astatine the message office. I cognize the feline that comes to the door," Slingerland said.

While a burgeoning harvest of last-mile carriers and shipping platforms saw their volumes surge during past year's month-long postal strike, galore were caught disconnected defender and recovered they could grip lone a fraction of the demand.

Jarrett Stewart, successful complaint of commercialized operations astatine transportation startup GoBolt, says a Canada Post enactment stoppage would mean much customers but besides much headaches if the large couriers it relies on, specified arsenic FedEx and UPS, headdress freight volumes.

Alternative shipping institution Stallion Express says a onslaught would stall billions of dollars successful e-commerce gross and permission agrarian shoppers waiting for indispensable goods.

Canada Post claims it's financially limited

While the hold to the 2 sides' corporate statement ends connected May 22, yesterday was the deadline for a commission established successful January to record its last study connected the viability of Canada Post. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon established the committee successful December erstwhile helium asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to bid the 2 sides backmost to work.

WATCH | CFIB says businesses disquieted astir cost, deliveries, currency travel amid postal onslaught during archetypal strike: 

Stephanie Ross, an subordinate prof successful the schoolhouse of labour studies astatine McMaster University successful Hamilton, Ont., said that depending connected what commissioner William Kaplan concludes, the study could lend credence to Canada Post's assertion that its fiscal concern limits what it tin connection the union.

One of the outstanding issues is simply a propulsion from Canada Post to adhd play delivery, a determination the national fears could undermine full-time workers' occupation protections if the postal work turns to part-time oregon gig workers to unit the expanded model.

Ross says this week's intermission is apt successful Canada Post's interest, due to the fact that the report could backmost up the Crown corporation's assertion that it's pursuing the astir viable way to staying afloat.