Canada Post: No agreement so far as work stoppage deadline nears

The clock is ticking for Canada Post and its workers’ union to reach an agreement to avoid a potential work stoppage.

Canada Post has said it intends to continue operating despite having issued a lockout notice to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which has served its own strike notices for both the urban operations unit and the rural and suburban mail carriers (RSMC) unit.

“Canada Post has notified the union that unless new agreements are reached, the current collective agreements will no longer apply as of Friday,” Lisa Liu, a Canada Post spokesperson told Global News on Tuesday.

Liu said the notice was required to be filed with the union and the labour minister to “make the changes to our operations starting Friday, if needed.”

The union will also be in a legal position to begin strike activity, as of 12:01 a.m. eastern on Friday, but it’s unclear what job action could look like.

When issuing its own 72-hour strike notices Tuesday morning, CUPW did not say if workers would walk off the job.

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Both sides have been engaged in talks for almost a year in an attempt to reach collective agreements.

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Canada Post says the looming job action could impact millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on their service.

Amid the uncertainty of a work stoppage at the national postal service, other courier services are already preparing for an influx of deliveries and making contingency plans.

The potential work stoppage has retailers, especially small businesses, worried ahead of the busy holiday season.

“This is one of the main suppliers for parcel delivery for retail, and it couldn’t come at the worst time during the holiday season,” Matt Poirier, vice-president of federal government relations for the Retail Council of Canada, told Global News in an interview Wednesday.

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The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said on Thursday that it is disappointed by the potential for another work stoppage impacting small businesses, urging both sides to come to an agreement.

“Small firms depend on a reliable postal service, and they need mail and parcel delivery service provided by Canada Post to remain fully operational,” Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of advocacy at CFIB, said in a statement.

If a work stoppage does occur, it won’t be the first time for Canada Post, as the most recent rotating strikes were held in 2008 and 2011.