Canada Post’s Moment of Reckoning: The Truth Behind the Strike
📬 Canada Post workers are on strike across Canada—and the reasons go far beyond mail delivery.
On September 25, 2025, the federal government announced sweeping changes to Canada Post: ending home mail delivery for 4 million households, closing rural post offices, relaxing daily delivery standards, and making it easier to raise stamp prices. The announcement blindsided the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which had been in negotiations for weeks.
CUPW president Jan Simpson made it clear: the government and Canada Post management refused to consult the union before these decisions, undermining the collective bargaining process and forcing workers into full job action.
✊ Why Postal Workers Are Striking
For nearly two years, Canada Post management has claimed the corporation is financially “unsustainable,” using this as justification to cut jobs, reduce services, and ignore innovative proposals. CUPW has repeatedly offered solutions:
- Postal banking for communities without easy access to financial services
- Services for seniors and rural communities
- Green delivery initiatives and modernization
- Diversifying revenue streams through parcel delivery and other public services
Management and government have dismissed or ignored these ideas, instead pushing a narrative that the only solution is to attack workers and dismantle public services.
Workers first tried smaller actions—banning overtime, refusing to deliver flyers—but with negotiations stalled and government support of management, CUPW had little choice but to escalate to a nationwide strike.
🕰️ The Long History of Struggle
This isn’t the first time postal workers have faced such attacks. Canada Post and CUPW share a decades-long history of conflict, but also of innovation and progress for Canadian workers:
- 1965: CUPW forms after illegal strikes, becoming one of Canada’s most militant unions.
- 1970s–1980s: CUPW wins shorter work weeks, safety standards, and paid maternity leave—landmark gains for all Canadian workers.
- 1987: The Mulroney government legislates CUPW back to work after a 42-day strike, setting a precedent for government intervention.
- 1990s–2000s: Automation and restructuring lead to job losses; CUPW pushes for postal banking and new services.
- 2011 & 2018: Rotating strikes challenge workloads, safety, and job security; federal governments repeatedly intervene with back-to-work legislation.
- 2022–2024: Mail volumes decline while parcels rise; CUPW proposes modern solutions, mostly ignored by management.
- 2025: The current crisis erupts after the government adopts the Kaplan Report, effectively siding with management against workers.
🌍 Lessons from Abroad
Canada isn’t alone in facing declining mail volumes, but other countries offer a roadmap:
- Postnord (Sweden, Denmark, Norway): Profitable, unionized, and focused on parcel delivery while preserving good jobs.
- Strong sectoral bargaining in Scandinavia ensures wages are fair and prevents hyper-exploitative gig models.
- When wages are protected, companies compete on service quality and innovation rather than cutting jobs.
The lesson is clear: Canada Post doesn’t need to be dismantled. With investment and vision, it could remain a strong public service that protects good jobs while modernizing for today’s economy.
💡 Why This Matters
This strike is about more than letters. It’s about:
- Workers’ rights: CUPW fights for fair pay, safe working conditions, and job security.
- Public services: Canada Post isn’t just a delivery service—it’s a community lifeline, especially in rural areas.
- A precedent for Canada: How the government handles this will affect unions and public services nationwide.
The battle at Canada Post is a test of our values: do we let public services and workers be dismantled in the name of “efficiency,” or do we demand a system that is fair, innovative, and publicly accountable?
✊ Stand with Workers
Postal workers have been at the frontlines of labour rights in Canada for decades. From winning maternity leave to protecting communities, their struggles have shaped the country. Now, they face another moment of reckoning.
We all have a role to play: stay informed, share the truth, and stand with postal workers as they fight the employer-led “race to the bottom.”
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