When members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers went on strike in mid-November, few would have imagined that it would have lasted into mid-December.
It's not the first time that we've seen a postal strike in Canada. But this one felt different due to the length.
Make no mistake: a strike by Canada Post employees has a negative impact on our country. A lot of people still depend on the Crown corporation to send and receive everything from parcels to utility bills. There are still a lot of Canadians who have eschewed online banking or direct deposits.
And there are a lot of remote and rural areas in our country that need Canada Post, regardless of the other options from the private sector.
And at this time of year, the strike's impact was even greater. Most people didn't have their Christmas shopping finished in early November and their parcels sent in time to be delivered before the strike. Those who were hoping the strike would be resolved quickly so they could get their Christmas gifts sent and delivered on time were disappointed.
There will be a lot of people getting late Christmas presents this year, and it has nothing to do with procrastination.
Yet despite the impact, it took four weeks for the federal government to publicly call for back-to-work measures. The Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered a return to operations on the weekend, and operations at Canada Post resumed Tuesday. Many Canadians were likely thinking "it took you long enough".
Was the government gun shy about forcing employees back to work after the federal New Democratic Party backed away from its supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals in the wake of the government's strike-ending measures for CN and CPKC Rail employees earlier this year? Or did the government's lack of a reaction reflect the reality of Canada Post's significance in 2024?
As stated before, Canada Post is still vital. But with each passing year, it becomes more of a diminishing return as less conventional mail circulates through the system.
Most people probably took notice when it was announced, after the strike began, that Canada Post lost $315 million in the third quarter. While Canada Post employees were on the picket line, Canadians were getting a reminder of the company's financial situation.
Would this strike have been allowed to reach the four-week mark 10 or 20 years ago? Probably not, especially with so many Canadians relying on postal delivery at this time of year.
Canada Post employees have done their best to cope amid the changing times. Most of their employees are dedicated and friendly folks who work hard and want to deliver quality customer service so that people will want to come back. They know there are more options for Canadians to receive their parcels and pay their bills than ever before.
Canada Post is certainly not absolved of blame in this work stoppage. Their decision to lay off striking employees came across as a heavy-handed move that would have been tried decades ago in an effort to break a union. It helped the striking CUPW employees come across as sympathetic in the eyes of many Canadians.
We'll see what the future holds for Canada Post. If the federal Conservatives win the next election, they might not be be so patient with Canada Post's losses, and they might want to take measures to make it more cost-competitive, similar to what the Tories did in the final months of their previous government.
We can now look forward to our packages, letters, bill payments, cheques and more getting delivered. But there will be further discussions to take place about the future of Canada Post in this ever-changing world.
