Canada Post strike: what impact can you expect on your letters and packages?

Tens of thousands of Canada Post workers have been on strike since 1 a.m. Friday morning. Postal workers are demanding a salary increase, better work-family balance and improved health and safety conditions.

This work stoppage necessarily has repercussions on millions of Canadians who rely on Canada Post, as the busy holiday season begins.

Here’s what you need to know about this situation.

Will I receive my mail?

Letters and packages will not be processed or delivered during the national strike and some post offices will be closed, Canada Post said in a press release.

As for mail that is already in Canada Post facilities, it will be secured and delivered as soon as possible upon resumption of activitiesassured the company.

Furthermore, he It will take some time for postal service to return to normaleven after the end of the strike, Canada Post also warned.

Can I drop off letters or packages at the post office?

No. Canada Post said it would not accept any new items until the strike ends.

Jim Bookbinder, professor of management sciences at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, advises people to use another delivery service to send urgent mail or gifts during the holiday season.

What about other carriers?

The union for employees of Purolator, a subsidiary of Canada Post, said staff would not process mail from Canada Post as a sign of solidarity.

The strike could, however, benefit private competitors UPS and FedEx.

FedEx deliveries are not affected by the strike. According to a company press release, a emergency plan is in place in order to manage the increased volume of deliveries during the period of inactivity of Canada Post.

For its part, UPS Canada has not yet given details regarding the possibility of implementing any emergency plan.

Will rural communities be more affected than cities?

Yes. The regions will be particularly affected. Rural and remote communities across the country are entirely dependent on Canada Post for their deliveries, as private carriers do not serve all rural areas.

Most of the time, these companies transport the packages part of the way and Canada Post takes care of transporting them the last few kilometers.

Will I continue to receive my government aid checks?

Canada Post and the union have agreed to continue distributing government benefit checks – including Old Age Security, the Canada Child Benefit and the Canada Pension Plan – during the work stoppage.

According to a release, anyone who relies on the postal service to receive financial assistance will receive it in a timely manner.

All November checks should therefore be delivered on Wednesday, November 20, the company assured. December checks will arrive on Wednesday, December 18.

Service Canada, however, urged Canadians to open accounts online and make direct deposits so they can receive their benefits without delay.

And what about bank statements?

Several Canadian banks have also reminded their customers to switch to online banking to manage their statements, bills and banking communications.

CIBC explained in particular that its customers are still required to make regular payments and meet their financial obligations for credit cards, loans and mortgages, despite the interruption of postal service.

Other financial institutions, including Scotiabank and BMO, have issued similar statements.

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How will this hurt small businesses?

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says 80 per cent of the country’s small businesses rely on Canada Post to ship goods, send invoices to customers and receive payments.

President Dan Kelly said the strike is coming at a very bad time and that this constitutes a big blow for small businessesespecially after the port strike in Vancouver and Montreal.

We are just starting to get the ports back up and running and retailers may start receiving goods that have been stranded at the ports for a while but will now struggle to get them to their end consumers due to the postal strikehe declared in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Mr. Kelly also said that the strike will notably prevent the delivery of commercial invoices that pass through the postal system, forcing businesses to scrambling to try to get money.

For his part, Mr. Bookbinder, a professor at the University of Waterloo, added that sending packages or letters using private carriers should probably cost 30% to 40% more than with the courier service. national post.

What about letters to Santa?

CBC contacted Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) about the Canada Post holiday tradition. The company responded by email that no mail will be processed during the strike.

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Can the government order workers to return to work?

The government has this power, but did not intend to use it Friday morning.

For the moment, I am not considering any other solution than negotiation.Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters in Montreal.

Every day is a new day in collective bargaining, and we will continue to support the parties in every way possible and ensure they are able to try to reach a negotiated agreementhe added.

With information from CBC News