The union representing 55,000 Canada Post workers has announced it will end its nationwide strike and move to rotating strikes starting this weekend.
The notice was posted on the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) website late Thursday.
“Effective Saturday, October 11th at 6 a.m. local time, CUPW will move from nationwide strikes to rotating strikes,” CUPW President Ian Simpson wrote in the notice.
“This will allow mail and packages to begin moving while continuing our fight for good collective bargaining agreements and a strong public postal service.”
It's unclear from the union's message how long it will be before Canadians actually start receiving mail again. CBC News has reached out to CUPW for clarification. Canada Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The union was in the midst of its second nationwide strike in less than a year, which had halted nearly all mail and parcel delivery.
This latest strike comes after the federal government last month announced plans to restructure the Crown corporation, which could lose $1.5 billion in 2025 and is now staying afloat only thanks to a $1 billion federal loan.
In a statement Thursday night, the union accused the federal government of encouraging Canada Post to “continue to make a mockery of the negotiation process” by announcing changes in the midst of a contract dispute.
Simpson and other union leaders said they met with Government Transformation Minister Joël Lightbound will hold an hour on Wednesday evening and plans to meet with him again next week.
Many of the measures Lightbound announced last month represent changes Canada Post has long called for in Ottawa to ensure its financial viability. (Crown corporations are widely regulated by federal law.)
The restructuring includes ending door-to-door delivery of goods (with some exceptions related to availability) and giving the corporation greater autonomy in deciding how and when it delivers goods.
In a post on its website, the union said the government's plan “will allow Canada Post to gut our postal service and eliminate thousands of our jobs.”
“We will continue our fight for strong public services, good jobs and a sustainable public post office for all Canadians,” it said.
Could ending door-to-door mail delivery help solve Canada Post's financial crisis? Andrew Chang explains why Canada Post's strength may now be its weakness—and how the path forward may unfold. Also, is Trump right about abolishing the penny?
