Canada Post strike halts mail, parcel deliveries across the country

Canada Post workers are on strike after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with their employer.

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The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says approximately 55,000 workers are striking, claiming little progress has been made in the bargaining process.

At 12:01 a.m. Friday in Calgary, Canada Post workers were already on the picket line at the mail processing plant in the northeast.

In Calgary, there are about 2,000 Canada Post workers.

"I will be going in with the rest of my executive to bring them out collectively. We walk out in solidarity one minute after midnight," said Wycliffe Odour, Calgary Local president.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued a 72-hour strike notice earlier in the week, saying it's been asking for fair wages, safer working conditions and other improvements over nearly a year of bargaining.

Small businesses 'very reliant' on Canada Post

Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce says small businesses in the city will be hit hard by the postal strike.

"They use Canada Post to send their goods all over the world – within the city, within the province (and) across the country," she told CTV News on Friday.

"A lot of people use this time of year for marketing campaigns."

Yedlin said she doesn't have exact figures on how deep the impact would be on small businesses, but she knows they are "very reliant" on the agency to conduct their operations.

"This is a way to grow their business, deliver their goods to their customers and, for the most part, Canada Post is very reliable.

"They've built their business plans around being able to use them to get their goods to market."

Yedlin said not-for-profits will also be impacted by the postal strike and the potential backlog of undelivered mail and parcels.

"Everybody looks to this time of year for donations."

While there are other options for businesses, Yedlin says they are more expensive.

"If you are a small business that's already been struggling with supply chain input, you've been worried about inflation and your labour costs are higher – you haven't been able to pass those costs onto your consumers.

"This is just one more blow for small businesses to have to deal with."

'Significant and immediate impact': Canada Post

Canada Post served the union with the lockout notice not long after but had said it didn't intend to lock workers out.

The Crown corporation released a statement early Friday morning confirming that customers will experience delays as a result of the strike.

The statement says mail and parcels will not be delivered for the duration of the strike, and some post offices will be closed.

"This decision will have a significant and immediate impact on millions of Canadians, small businesses and charities who count on Canada Post during the busy holiday season. As well, a national strike by CUPW means service to remote and Northern regions that rely on Canada Post is shut down," the statement said.

"Understanding the importance of the service we provide, Canada Post had informed the union, and our customers, that we would continue operating and maintain service in the event of rotating strikes while discussions continue. We are committed to remaining at the table to negotiate new collective agreements."

Canada Post says shutting down facilities will affect its national network, with processing and delivery of mail possibly needing time to return to normal once the strike is over.

With files from Camilla Di Giuseppe and the Canadian Press