As Canada Post workers enter the second week of their overtime ban, the impact is becoming increasingly visible in communities across the country. Mail and parcel deliveries are backing up at processing facilities while frustrated Canadians wonder when their bills, medications, and packages might arrive.
I spent yesterday morning at Ottawa’s main sorting facility, where the usual weekend bustle has given way to an eerie calm. Inside, thousands of parcels sit in neat rows, waiting for processing that would normally happen during overtime shifts.
“We don’t want to be here,” says Michel Giroux, a postal worker for 22 years. “But after three years without a contract and management proposals that would reduce our job security, we felt we had no choice.”
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post management are scheduled to meet today in what many hope could break the impasse that has led to the current job action. Sources close to the negotiations tell me both sides recognize the growing pressure to reach an agreement before a full strike or lockout becomes inevitable.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has been monitoring the situation closely. His office released a statement Friday urging both parties to “continue negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that respects workers while ensuring Canadians receive the postal services they depend on.”
The dispute centers around several key issues. CUPW is pushing for better job security provisions, wage increases that keep pace with inflation, and improved health and safety measures. Canada Post, meanwhile, points to financial challenges and changing mail volumes as constraints on what they can offer.
Recent Canada Post financial reports show the Crown corporation posted a $779 million loss in 2024, though critics note this includes one-time pension adjustments. Parcel delivery – the growing segment of their business – actually saw revenues increase by 4.2% last year according to their quarterly reports.
In Yellowknife, small business owner Jenna McLeod tells me the slowdown couldn’t have come at a worse time. “Spring is when we receive most of our inventory for the tourist season. Every day of delay means lost sales we can’t recover.”
The impacts extend beyond commerce. In rural communities like Baie-Comeau, Quebec, where alternative delivery options are limited, residents worry about receiving medications and important documents. Local pharmacist Pierre Tremblay has been advising patients to request their prescriptions earlier than usual. “For some of our elderly patients, mail delivery is their lifeline,” he explains.
Public opinion appears divided. A recent Abacus Data poll found 48% of Canadians sympathize with postal workers, while 37% believe Canada Post’s position is more reasonable. The remaining 15% expressed no preference.
The current overtime ban, which began May 18, allows regular mail service to continue but prohibits workers from accepting overtime hours – a strategy that gradually increases pressure while avoiding an immediate shutdown of services. Canada Post typically relies heavily on overtime to manage fluctuating mail volumes and cover staffing shortages.
During my visit to a Toronto mail processing plant last week, floor supervisor Darlene Wong pointed to rows of machines operating at reduced capacity. “Normally we’d have additional shifts running these sorters well into the evening,” she explained. “Now we shut down at regular hours, regardless of what’s left to process.”
For communities already experiencing delivery delays, the situation may worsen if negotiations fail. Both sides have been preparing for potential escalation, with Canada Post reportedly developing contingency plans while CUPW has been conducting strike votes across the country.
Small business advocates are pressing the federal government to become more directly involved. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimates that a full work stoppage could cost small businesses nationwide approximately $200 million per week in delayed payments and lost sales.
Back in Ottawa, postal worker Michel Giroux adjusts his uniform as his shift ends – precisely on time, with no overtime. “We deliver to every address in Canada, through snowstorms and pandemics. All we’re asking for is a fair deal that recognizes that commitment.”
As today’s negotiations begin, millions of Canadians will be watching closely, hoping their mail starts moving again before the situation deteriorates further. Whether that happens depends on what unfolds in a downtown Toronto meeting room today, where two sides with very different visions for Canada’s postal service will try once more to find common ground.
