Canada Post union workers go on strike following changes to delivery services

The union representing Canada’s postal workers has called for a cross-country strike after the federal government announced new changes to Canada Post services.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) posted a notice on its website Thursday evening that all of its Canada Post members were to walk off the job.

“In response to the Government’s attack on our postal service and workers, effective immediately, all CUPW members at Canada Post are on a nation-wide strike,” said Jan Simpson, the National President of CUPW in a statement on the CUPW website.

Hours earlier, Joël Lightbound, the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, announced in Ottawa several changes to services offered by Canada Post in efforts to improve the Crown corporation’s finances.

Major changes included slowing down the frequency of mail delivery, the closing of some post offices, and the ending of door-to-door mail delivery for nearly all Canadian households over the next 10 years.

The minister said the federal government will accept all of the recommendations in the Industrial Commission’s report on Canada Post, which also called for the introduction of more community mailboxes.

“This announcement was an outrage,” said Simpson. “Minister Lightbound gave the Union no indication that he was going to do this when leadership met with him last week. The Minister said he had the ‘utmost respect’ for postal workers. This is no way to show it.”

The union says the government has failed to consider problems it faced in the past when the corporation tried to convert door-to-door services to community mailbox delivery.

“These recommendations could result in major job losses,” said Simpson.

The Retail Council of Canada spoke out about the strike, saying it will hurt millions of Canadians who rely on Canada Post every day for deliveries of packages, flyers and essential goods.

“At a time when Canadians are already under financial strain, we cannot afford this kind of disruption,” reads the statement.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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