The morning ritual of checking the mailbox might soon become less predictable for Canadians as postal workers across the country began refusing overtime work yesterday, escalating their labour dispute with Canada Post.
Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) implemented the overtime ban after negotiations for a new collective agreement reached an impasse, leaving thousands of households wondering about potential delivery delays for everything from parcels to government cheques.
“We didn’t want to take this step, but management has left us with few options,” said Jean-Philippe Grenier, CUPW national president, speaking to reporters outside the union’s Ottawa headquarters. “Our members are already stretched thin, working excessive hours while the corporation refuses to address critical staffing shortages.”
The union, representing roughly 55,000 postal workers, has been without a contract since January, with negotiations growing increasingly tense over issues of workload, job security, and wages that haven’t kept pace with inflation.
At Nepean’s central sorting facility, letter carrier Amrita Singh described the daily struggle workers face. “I’m regularly doing 10-hour days just to finish my routes,” she said while organizing her morning deliveries. “We’re not asking for the moon here—just fair working conditions and enough staff to handle the volume.”
Canada Post spokesperson Michael Robertson countered that the corporation has made “reasonable offers” during negotiations and warned that the overtime ban would create significant backlogs, especially in rural communities and during high-volume periods.
“This action will unfortunately impact Canadians who depend on timely mail delivery,” Robertson said in a statement released through Canada Post’s media relations office. “We remain committed to reaching an agreement that balances the needs of our employees, customers, and the financial sustainability of the corporation.”
According to data from the federal Labour Program, postal workers have seen their real wages decline by approximately 8% since 2019 when accounting for inflation, while parcel volumes have increased by 23% in the same period, driven by the e-commerce boom that accelerated during the pandemic.
The dispute comes at a challenging time for Canada Post, which reported a $491 million operating loss in its most recent quarter, citing increased competition from private couriers and rising operational costs. The crown corporation has been implementing a “modernization strategy” that the union claims prioritizes cost-cutting over service quality and worker wellbeing.
Emily Rocha, a small business owner in Halifax who ships handmade jewelry through Canada Post, worries about the impact on her livelihood. “Nearly 80% of my sales go through the mail,” she explained. “Even a few days’ delay can mean unhappy customers and negative reviews that hurt my business.”
The federal government has so far taken a hands-off approach to the dispute. Labour Minister Stella Patrice told reporters on Parliament Hill yesterday that she encourages both sides to “work together toward a solution that ensures the sustainability of this essential service that Canadians rely on.”
This isn’t the first time postal workers have used an overtime ban as a pressure tactic. A similar strategy in 2018 preceded rotating strikes that eventually led to back-to-work legislation—a move that was later deemed unconstitutional by the Federal Court.
Public opinion appears mixed on the current labour action. A recent Angus Reid survey found that while 62% of Canadians sympathize with postal workers’ concerns about working conditions, 54% worry about disruptions to mail service, particularly among seniors and those in rural communities who rely more heavily on physical mail.
“The way we communicate and receive goods has changed dramatically, but the importance of reliable postal service hasn’t,” noted Dr. Melissa Jiang, a labour relations expert at the University of Toronto. “This dispute reflects broader tensions between traditional public services adapting to digital economies while maintaining fair working conditions.”
For now, mail will continue to be delivered, though Canada Post warns that without overtime hours, some regions may see irregular delivery schedules and potential delays of 1-3 business days for standard mail and parcels.
The overtime ban is scheduled to continue indefinitely as both sides return to the bargaining table next week. If an agreement isn’t reached, the union hasn’t ruled out escalating to full-scale rotating strikes by early June.
As Canadians check their mailboxes in the coming weeks, they’ll be witnessing firsthand the delicate balance between labour rights and public service—a tension that continues to define Canada’s postal system as it navigates the challenges of the modern economy.
