Mail delivery is put on hold nationwide
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has declared a nationwide strike following Ottawa’s announcement of ceasing door-to-door mail delivery within the next 10 years, according to BNN Bloomberg.
In a notice posted on its website, the union, which represented 55,000 postal workers, announced that all of its Canada Post members will be going on strike and will be walking off the job in response to the announcement made by Procurement Minister Joel Lightbound, who was the minister in-charge of the Canada Post.
Lightbound had previously announced several changes with Canada Post as part of a modernization plan, which includes the authorization to end home delivery. Around four million addresses were reportedly receiving the service, according to CBC.
Apart from this, the plan will also life the 1994 moratorium regarding the closing of rural post offices which covers almost 4,000 areas. Lightbound asserted that such changes were necessary to keep the Crown corporation afloat.
“The bottom line is this: Canada Post is effectively insolvent. It provides an essential service to Canadians, and in particular to rural, remote and Indigenous communities, and Canadians are rightfully attached to it and want it saved. However, repeated bailouts from the federal government are not the solution,” said Lightbound.
“In response to the Government’s attack on our postal service and workers, effective immediately, all CUPW members at Canada Post are on a nationwide strike,” the CUPW’s statement read.
Canada Post spokeswoman Lisa Liu stated that in lieu of the strike, no new mail will be accepted while some post offices will be closed during the strike. However, there had been an agreement between the corporation and the union to continue delivering government welfare cheques and to deliver existing live-animal shipments.
“The corporation is disappointed that the union chose to escalate their strike activity, which will further deteriorate Canada Post’s financial situation,” said Liu.
According to the CUPW, the union was caught off-guard by the changes set to be imposed. It also pointed out that these changes will create conditions that will continue to decrease the demand for Canada Post’s letter and parcel services.
Notably, CUPW members have gone on strike last Nov. 15 and Dec. 17, 2024, disrupting the movement of deliveries nationwide.
