Don’t expect mail delivery on Friday. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Friday.
“After a year of bargaining with little progress, postal workers made the difficult decision to strike,” the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said in a statement. “Our demands are reasonable: fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office,” said the union that represents 55,000 postal workers.
The postal workers issued a 72-hour strike notice on Tuesday.
Canada Post has said it offered annual wage increases that are the equivalent of 11.5% over four years and protection of a defined benefits pension for current workers.
About 55,000 postal workers are off the job.
The Crown corporation has been saying that its finances are in a dire state. “Canada Post’s financial situation is unsustainable,” it said in its 2023 annual report. “The Corporation has recorded significant annual losses since 2018, fuelled by rapid changes in the postal and parcel delivery sectors and legacy regulatory measures that impede the company’s ability to evolve and compete.” In 2023, it had a loss before tax of $748 million. From 2018 to 2023, it lost $3 billion before taxes.
