Latest news with #postalstrike
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Halifax businesses worry about uncertain future with Canada Post
Shop owners in Halifax are frustrated by uncertainties surrounding the dispute between Canada Post and The Canadian Union of Postal Workers. A family-owned Japanese-themed shop in Halifax relies heavily on Canada post's services. Most of their inventory is shipped from Japan. The strike last year had a big impact and they worry about another one. 'When Canada Post stopped services last year it was a hard time for us because we couldn't get anything and we had to switch to private couriers and that was more expensive,' says Ferdinand Ballesteros, the Ikebana Shop owner. Ballesteros said he and his wife took the hit to their company's bottom line thinking it was only temporary. They said they are ahead of things if there's another strike. 'We have tried to manage the schedule such that we don't ask our suppliers to ship out right now and not do anything for them to be caught in limbo,' says Ballesteros. Cailean Jan, owner of the Silk Route in Halifax said she's trying to figure out options to reach her customers that are more reliable than Canada Post. Ikebana Shop The storefront of Halifax's Ikebana Shop is pictured. (Emma Convey/CTV Atlantic) 'People do like to shop online and I don't want to have people being discouraged to shop because they are not sure if or when they are going to get their items.' Canada Post has rejected a request from the CUPW to send their ongoing labour dispute to binding arbitration. 'CUPW has put forward an option to go to binding arbitration, that would add another 12 to 18 months of uncertainty because it's a long lengthy process with the lawyers battling it out,' says Jon Hamilton, Vice President of Communications at Canada Post. Hamilton said it would mean their employees wouldn't have a contract for a long time and it would sideline their right to vote on another agreement because it's binding. CUPW made the request in a statement Saturday, saying it was inviting Canada Post to a fair, final and binding arbitration process to resolve negotiations. Silk Route The sign for the Silk Route in Halifax, N.S., is pictured. 'This all comes down to the government,' says Dwayne Corner, CUPW president. 'When they ordered us back to work, they did not send us to binding arbitration like they did the other parties like the rail workers and the port workers.' Corner said this would have been settled had it gone to arbitration the first time. The Crown corporation dismissed the proposal in a response on Sunday, saying it wants to 'restore stability' to the postal service and arguing the union's request for binding arbitration would do the opposite. 'We are probably further apart now than we were last year, so after 18 months we have put forward an offer and we believe employees should have a chance to voice their opinion and vote,' says Hamilton. CUPW has been in a legal strike position since May 23 and has opted to ban their members from working overtime. 'We hope that the minister will support us and deny the corporation's request to take the vote to the members. we want them to continue bargaining with us,' says Corner. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Canada Post reports $1.3B operating loss in 2024
Canada Post is reporting a $1.3-billion loss in operating expenses in its 2024 annual report. Overall, the Crown corporation has lost $3.8 billion since 2018. The news comes as a potential postal worker strike looms. This breaking story will be updated.
National Post
24-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
'The people will be with us': Inside the thoughts of Canada Post workers considering a strike
Article content Canadian postal workers may once again go on strike. After a one-month strike over the winter that effectively stranded tens of thousands of Christmas parcels, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is set to do it all again. After a midnight deadline expired without an agreement, the union announced a ban on overtime Friday and said they may escalate. Article content Article content Canada Post is hemorrhaging money, and managers are signalling that they see no way forward without a drastic streamlining of how the place is run. The CUPW, in turn, doesn't want any of that — and is also pressing for more money and vacation days. Article content Article content Article content But there is one thing we do know. The image and reputation of the Canadian postal worker has never been higher. When the average Canadian looks upon a cheerful mail carrier bombarded by the elements and weighed down with the burdens of their calling, they see an image of the country exceeded only by Terry Fox, the warriors of Vimy Ridge or a particularly majestic raven. Article content Do I wish for labour disruption? Of course not, but I know that in any conflict, the people will be with us. Article content The die is cast: Today we issued our 72-hour strike notice. In these instances, the slaving plutocrats at Canada Post always hide behind flimsy rationales such as 'finances' or 'imminent bankruptcy.' This is why our demands also include a number of measures to increase revenue at the corporation and restore it to solvency. Article content Article content These include licensing a line of limited edition postal worker action figures, and using our vehicle fleet to spearhead the creation of a backyard furnace program to dramatically increase Canadian steel production as a check against American imperialism. Article content
CTV News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
CTV National News: Impact of job action by Canada Post workers
CTV National News: Impact of job action by Canada Post workers Canada Post is warning of delays as postal workers initiated an overtime ban as a strike deadline passed with no deal. Genevieve Beauchemin has more.
Globe and Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Businesses turn to other shipping services as Canada Post warns of delays from union's overtime ban
Canadians might wait longer to receive mail, packages and some cheques after the union that represents 55,000 Canada Post employees called on its members Thursday night to refuse overtime work. While postal operations will continue, the mail courier said in a statement that customers may experience delays. This comes after the union failed to reach a deal with the Crown corporation ahead of a midnight strike deadline on Friday. 'On the positive side, mail will still be moving, and while things may be delayed, they will get there,' said Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Money for payroll won't be frozen in the mail, which is one of the biggest things that small businesses and their employees rely on Canada Post for, he said. But the lingering threat of a strike continues to create uncertainty for businesses. 'None of the long-term issues get resolved, and we still have the threat of a strike really at any point in time,' Mr. Kelly said. While some businesses are better prepared for the disruption after a previous 32-day walkout by postal workers last winter, it still introduces added costs – as much as 10 to 15 per cent for some users – that companies need to absorb or pass on to consumers. Many have pivoted to private couriers since the last disruption or lined up backups. Canadian shipping company Chit Chats, for example, saw a 300-per-cent increase in sign-ups and new shippers during the last Canada Post strike, said spokesperson Juhee Cha in an e-mail. But Mr. Kelly said turning to alternative couriers often means paying surge pricing the private companies impose in response to higher demand. 'You either eat the cost yourself or your business may be losing money on that sale,' he said. 'Consumers are already extra price-sensitive, given the uncertainty in the economy over U.S. tariffs.' Opinion: The truth is that Canada Post was simply set up to fail John Barrett, the director of sales, marketing and development at Veseys Seeds Ltd., which calls itself Canada's largest mail-order gardening company, said devastating losses during the last postal strike pushed the company to move shipments to a competing firm. The firm lost roughly 6,000 to 7,000 orders last winter, translating into 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of business,' said Mr. Barrett. The move to a new shipping company meant paying 10 to 15 per cent more 'at bare minimum,' he said, 'and in some cases more than that.' Still, many companies describe the shift to alternative shipment companies as a wise business move. Maria Morales, senior director and general manager at Poshmark Canada, said the fashion resale marketplace launched a partnership with Purolator in April, providing sellers who relied on Canada Post an alternative in case of disruptions. She said that over 75 per cent of Canadians live within three kilometres of a Purolator drop-off location, offering added convenience to consumers. But Mr. Kelly said the added pressure on private couriers could put strain on their capacity as well, which occurred during the last postal strike. In December, Purolator and UPS temporarily paused shipments from some other couriers as they worked through extra deliveries resulting from the Canada Post strike. The national postal service is also involved in the last leg of delivery in many remote communities. 'The private courier may get it as far as Whitehorse, but then to get into other locations in Yukon, Canada Post may be used,' said Mr. Kelly. 'If they're knocked out, customers become inaccessible.' For small businesses, any potential strike is set to compound sales challenges already brought on by U.S. tariffs, he said. Many companies also still rely on physical cheques for payroll, raising additional cash flow risks. Mr. Kelly criticized the union as well as political leaders for their inaction. 'The union seems to have a death wish – it seems to be doing everything possible to create as much economic damage to Canada Post and alienate as many customers as possible,' he said. In a statement, CUPW said that it opted to proceed with an overtime ban at this time to 'minimize disruptions to the public and lost days for members.' Geoff White, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, which represents Canadian consumers, said Canada Post has an exclusive privilege over mail delivery and remains an essential service. 'So, its work force should not be allowed to – on a regular basis – use that exclusivity essentiality as a bargaining chip,' he said. The disruption comes at a pivotal moment for the Crown corporation, which has accumulated more than $3-billion in losses before tax since 2018. An industrial inquiry commission report recently found that Canada Post was 'effectively insolvent, or bankrupt.' The contract presented by the Crown corporation to its union on Wednesday included wage increases that amount to 13.59 per cent over four years, up from the previous offer of 11.5 per cent. It also added six paid personal days. Weekend delivery remained a sticking point – Canada Post and CUPW disagree on how to staff weekend operations. 'Canadians generally respect the importance of labour rights,' said Mr. White. 'But there is not a lot of sympathy in the case of Canada Post, which has had years to adapt.'
