With the Thanksgiving long weekend now over, Canadians may start seeing some mail delivered again — but not on a regular schedule.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), representing about 55,000 employees, has moved to rotating strike action, which began on Saturday. The union says this approach is meant to reduce disruptions while negotiations with Canada Post continue.
Canada Post called the move “encouraging,” but warned customers to expect uncertainty, delivery delays, and backlogs across the country.
CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant clarified that the strike isn’t over — it’s just taking a different form.
“This lets Canadians see how service cuts affect them,” Gallant said.
He criticized Canada Post’s latest offer, calling it almost identical to the one rejected in May, adding that new proposed changes could lead to office closures and up to 10,000 job cuts.
“We need to stop this. Postal service is essential — small communities depend on it,” he added.
Canada Post letter carrier Lorraine Muller said workers are still reporting to work daily but often don’t know which local office will strike next.
“It’s spur-of-the-moment,” she said. “We’ve had no stability for two years, and many changes have made us feel disconnected from our workplace.”
In a statement, Canada Post welcomed employees back but admitted that rotating strikes make it hard to maintain reliable service. All service guarantees remain suspended.
The nationwide strike began on September 25, following the federal government’s announcement to end door-to-door mail delivery for most Canadian households within the next decade.
