You've likely heard that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) issued a strike notice last week, and as of 12:01 am today, October 22, 2018, rotating strikes are underway in Victoria, Edmonton, Windsor and Halifax.
- Click here to get all the latest information on the postal disruption
What is a rotating strike?
These rotating strikes will impact Canadians, particularly those who shop online. For the time being, disruption will be kept to a minimum, thanks to rotating strikes as opposed to a complete strike.
With a rotating strike, only some employees stop work at any given time, with each group taking its turn. In this case, for 24 hours, Canada Post workers will not be delivering or picking up mail or parcels in Victoria, Edmonton, Windsor and Halifax. All other operations across the country that are not listed on the strike notice will continue accepting and delivering packages.
Tomorrow, the affected areas will change, and so on and so forth.
Why are they striking?
There are a number of tensions lingering between Canada Post and the union, but primarily the reasons include letter carrier health and safety and precarious employment. Secondary issues include forced overtime and overburdening service expansion and equality for Rural Suburban Mail Carriers.
How retailers are responding
Major retailers are remaining committed to their online shoppers, with many having messages regarding the mail disruption and how they are handling it on the homepage of their websites.
For example, Chapters Indigo has made arrangements with alternate carriers, and are doing everything they can to minimize disruption.
Delays will hopefully be minor due to the nature of the rotating strikes, however, some retailers such as Sport Chek are suggesting customers choose 'Pick Up In Store' for qualified orders at checkout to reduce the risk of delays.
And for those of you who receive or pay bills through the postal system, it is recommended that you sign up for email bill notifications and pay online or through your local bank branch for the time being.
How long will it last?
For the time being, delays are expected to be minor. Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are continuing negotiations in order to come to a settlement, and are making every effort to minimize the impact of mail disruptions.
We will continue to update you as more information becomes available around the length of delivery delays, as well as how long the strike is expected to last.
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