Canada Post strike: will. you be affected?

News: Welcome to the Canadian Paper Money Forum.

I have really curbed my buying lately but succumbed to tossing a few bids on one of the last eBay sellers who offered true auction style listings (rather than Buy It Now/BIN).  So, of course, I won 4 World notes (from China) but these will be held up due to the Canada Post strike.

Anyone else affected?

Any predictions how the work action/negotiations will pan out?

W2W

I actually reached out to a eBay seller yesterday asking how they were shipping given the strike but never heard back so didn't buy. I don't want it sitting somewhere for an undetermined period of time.

Not Banknote/Coin related but I have to return a amazon package to a Canada Post and because of the strike I don't know when I am able to return it to Amazon. The deadline for it is November 22th so I hope the workers can negotiate a deal and everything can resume to normal operation

Archey80 & TN56 I share your concerns. 

I also had a very promising order from Europe that never arrived last year (with no labour upheaval). Eventually, after a lot of stress & contacting eBay, they refunded my money & told me that Canada Post wouldn't deliver the package. That seemed odd. I won't ever know whether this was true (or not) but I can say it was quite annoying as the order contained a couple of great notes from the DR which were about 1/2 the price of the other sellers a few years back. I'd be very lucky if I could buy those notes for the prices today.

Anyway, I am a little concerned now for my package coming from China, seeing as it won't arrive until the dispute is over. 

Typically, a strike when a company is losing revenue is not a good idea.  Canada Post will lose even more revenue, and according to what I read in other sources the corporation could run out of money by early 2025 (when I see "early 2025" I would think first quarter or April).  Plus, Canada Post will be required to pay off a $500 million debt by July 2025. This screams bankruptcy in the making.

Canada Post is in dire straits, and from a recent article I read they are still negotiating, but the corporation realizes it is critical to get a deal reached soon or the company may end up going the way of Blockbuster Video in the new year.

Based on past history, strikes - without replacement workers - usually last no more than three months before they are financially impacted, after which the company has no choice other than to give in to many of the union's demands - but after this strike is over, there will likely be many post offices closing down and merged with postal outlets in bigger communities - but if any layoffs happen, it may be minimal to none. Or it may be significant. That probably won't be announced until 2 to 4 weeks after the workers return to work.  There may also be reduced hours of operation for many post offices and postal outlets - possibly similar to the hours of teller service at many banks.  Instead of operating from 9 to 5, it may end up becoming 10 to 3.

I also believe that, after the strike is over, there will likely be longer delays on parcels arriving due to the quality of service becoming worse.  Before the strike, you would have a wait time of a few days or 2 to 3 weeks, but after the strike you may have to wait several months before your package arrives.

Canada Post is continuously negotiating because time is of the essence - not just due to the holiday season, but due to the company's financial health.  It seems as if the corporation is trying to get a deal reached without cuts and layoffs, but closing down post offices and laying off workers is an absolute last resort.  They may have to do that last resort by late January or February if the company is very close to running out of money.

The union is demanding a 24% pay hike over the four years of the agreement, and the company offered 11.5% percent over four years.  I think the 24% figure is just a bargaining tool and really all they really want is midway between - about 17 percent.  Another key issue at hand is the introduction of weekend delivery, which may lead to more frequent injuries.  Once an agreement is reached, they may not get any pay hike for the first year of the agreement, but the pay hike will likely only be good for up to 36 months - should the strike end in late December or into the new year.

I do recall an article about Boeing company workers being on strike for seven weeks, and the workers were fighting for a 40% pay hike to cover the cost of living. The workers rejected two offers - with 30% and 35% pay hikes, but they settled on 38% pay hike plus a lump sum signing bonus of $12,000 - which, according to someone's math is equivalent to 40%.  The union got what they fought for and they were immediately happy - but just after operations resumed, Boeing announced that 17,000 workers (not just striking workers) were receiving layoff notices.  It turns out the offer was too good to be true for Boeing workers. It came back to bite the union in the end.

That said, I expect there will be thousands of jobs cut and/or post offices closing down and moving to bigger post offices after Canada Post ends their strike, but it may not be announced until a month afterwards.

A strike that lasts more than two weeks will usually mean bad news for the workers - whether job losses, consolidation, reduced work days, etc.

If the strike continues into the new year, it may likely be settled by February - due to the looming tax season by that point.  Plus, most strikes that continue into the new year are usually settled by late January or early February - which is typically when strike season is over.

It affects me. I'm always on the lookout for new notes, whether I'm at home in Portland (most of the time) or Vancouver (a few times a year). I usually only buy the older high-ticket items in person, so I can see for myself and avoid nonsensical inflated online prices. For newer notes, if I find ones I'm looking for at the right price from a Canadian seller I'll still gladly buy, but I'd ask the seller to hold of on shipping until a week after the strike is over, just to reduce chances of misplacement. I'm already used to waiting a week or two, so a little longer wait is not a deal-breaker.


As for sales to Canada, I can't say, as I don't usually have a lot of Canadian buyers. Regardless, I hope the sides can come together on a satisfactory agreement to get this resolved soon. Housing and inflation are eating up everyone's buying power these days, but the Boeing case is a cautionary tale of getting what you asked for.



Off-topic perhaps, but it's kind of sad that the trusty yet beleaguered postal agencies that everyone depends upon like Canada Post and USPS are expected to turn a profit, while military and healthcare budgets can balloon year after year and the only reactions those manage to elicit are yawns and shrugs.

USPS has undergone numerous cuts, restructurings, and price increases over the last few years in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but any gains have been immediately negated by inflation. The end result being that the figures on the spreadsheet still look bad, and our mail service now takes a few days longer on average coast-to-coast.

Good point on the USPS situation. Canada Post, whether they get a deal sooner or later, they will have to do massive cuts to the service, major restructurings and increases of shipping fees and postage stamp prices.  I also wouldn't be shocked if some post offices will undergo construction next summer (i.e. renovations) in order to expand the surviving facilities to house the postal boxes and equipment from the permanently closed post offices. Or maybe some larger postal outlets will probably close as well, but move to leased space inside a drugstore or supermarket - as that would be much cheaper than having individual post offices scattered throughout the country.  There are way too many rural post offices in Canada, and many likely don't have enough foot traffic - they should have closed down years ago.  Should Canada Post decide to close down post offices, it may require travelling many kilometres to go to a postal outlet to put something in the mail. It stinks, but that's life.

I did learn that Canada Post had proposed a 25¢ increase in the price of a postage stamp, which would come into effect on January 13, 2025 if approved.  If the strike continues into January, the price hike may likely come into effect after services resume, and expect another (possibly bigger) price hike in July, and maybe even April.

I also wouldn't be surprised if any parcels and envelopes still in queue will probably be returned to the sender once services resume, as Canada Post will likely inform the sender that additional shipping fees and/or postage stamps may be required.

Archey80 & TN56 I share your concerns. 

I also had a very promising order from Europe that never arrived last year (with no labour upheaval). Eventually, after a lot of stress & contacting eBay, they refunded my money & told me that Canada Post wouldn't deliver the package. That seemed odd. I won't ever know whether this was true (or not) but I can say it was quite annoying as the order contained a couple of great notes from the DR which were about 1/2 the price of the other sellers a few years back. I'd be very lucky if I could buy those notes for the prices today.

Anyway, I am a little concerned now for my package coming from China, seeing as it won't arrive until the dispute is over.

I honestly feel bad for the Buyers/Sellers during this situation. I wonder when people who are buying coins/banknote will get their package during the strike, I wonder how long the strike will last for. I rarely buy any coins/banknotes on Ebay so I never experienced a situation like this before.

walktothewater sometimes I feel afraid ordering banknotes or coins internationally because of stories many people had experienced before. It's unfortunate that it had happened to you but at least you got the refund back. As a new collector reading these replies and resources available helps me a lot and avoid making mistakes as a beginner

I did learn that Canada Post desperately needs to change its business model in order to survive.  But the problem is, the CUPW are being stubborn in their ways and may also want a bigger pay raise that the corporation won't be able to afford.  I also read somewhere that if the strike drags on and the corporation loses more revenue, it may have to reconsider past proposals - which is a telltale sign that the corporation's demise is soon coming if CUPW don't get their act together and get with the times.

Another possible scenario if the strike drags on: Drugstores and retail outlets will likely terminate CP's  contracts to have postal services offered, leaving CP no choice other than to shop around for a new retail chain to set up a postal outlet.  Another scenario is that CP may end up closing down post offices in nearby communities and merge them with a big postal facility or big post office in a bigger town or city. I can also see some mail processing facilities closing down too - probably restricted to one such facility each in the Eastern and Western half of the country (Toronto and Vancouver, most likely).

I am thinking the intent of the strike is to allow the corporation to recover lost revenue through not paying any salaries for a period of time.  The longer the strike lasts, the more money they can recover.  Sometimes a long strike may be needed in order to recover a huge deficit.

If, say, a Canada Post worker with 10 years of service makes, on average, $70,000 annually, and there are 55,000 such workers in the workforce, that would result in well over $3,000,000,000 in money spent on salaries, and Canada Post is $3,000,000,000 in debt. It makes sense as to why Canada Post's future offers are going to be more inferior.  Either way, there's no way a $3,000,000,000 will be recovered quickly with the absence of layoffs or post office closures, but it can be recovered, and according to my math if they don't do any cuts, it will take around 9 or 10 months of no service to recover that huge deficit.  If this is true, you could be looking at late August or September next year before the service resumes.

But then again, Canada Post seems to be moving as quickly as possible to get a deal reached before the holiday rush, and before they run out of operating capital by early 2025. The strike, if it drags on, could cause the corporation to run out of operating capital much sooner.  The Federal Labour Minister is helping to keep talking as much as they can in order to get a deal reached quickly.  Time is of the essence.

At the same time, Canada Post's key focus now is to change the business model in order for the company to survive.  The business model we've had for well over a century is no longer affordable.  Times are changing.

I know there is a strike currently but I heard on the news that some Canada Post office were open so today I went to try to return a package  to see if they would accept it but they told me they couldn’t accept it.

I wonder why some post office are still open if the strike is happening. Hopefully the strike will  end soon as the deadline to return the package I have is November 22nd and I am afraid that I can’t return the package I have and lose out of the refund.

I know there is a strike currently but I heard on the news that some Canada Post office were open so today I went to try to return a package  to see if they would accept it but they told me they couldn’t accept it.

I wonder why some post office are still open if the strike is happening. Hopefully the strike will  end soon as the deadline to return the package I have is November 22nd and I am afraid that I can’t return the package I have and lose out of the refund.

You should probably notify the person you bought the item from, and explain the situation.  They should have no problem giving you a refund at a later date.  If they choose not to give you a refund, you may have the right to file a lawsuit.

It is weird how post offices are still open, but maybe they're only open just to sell stamps and other merchandise.

Another idea that could happen after the strike is the introduction of C.O.D. fees.  Anybody who orders any item and gets delivered by Canada Post will have to pay cash upon delivery of the item (whether physical cash, debit card, or electronic payment).

Maybe the post offices staying open might contribute to CP's depletion of operating capital by early 2025.

Negotiations are resuming today.

It is weird how post offices are still open, but maybe they're only open just to sell stamps and other merchandise.

Another idea that could happen after the strike is the introduction of C.O.D. fees.  Anybody who orders any item and gets delivered by Canada Post will have to pay cash upon delivery of the item (whether physical cash, debit card, or electronic payment).

The Post Offices that remain open are the franchises (in Shopper's Drug Mart.)
The corporate Post Offices are closed.

It makes no sense for Canada Post to simply increase fees and stamp prices--this would drive business into the arms of their competitors.  (Granted, the price for FedEx tracked lettermail is currently 3 times the rate that Canada Post charges for registered mail).

What should happen (but probably won't) is for Canada Post to lower their rates for stamps and packages and make up the revenue by increasing volume.  Undercutting the competition is the only way Canada Post will survive.

As for C.O.D. fees, I hope this doesn't become a reality since we pay upfront for delivery services via stamps and registered mail.

Just my 2 cents...
Dean

Another idea is that, after the strike is over, if Canada Post doesn't offer discounted or free shipping to entice customers back, stores that rely on CP will probably have a big sale for online shopping only, just to get customers back to Canada Post.  CP will then have their major holiday traffic in January or February (or whenever the strike ends) instead of this year.  Worst case scenario, the days of mall shopping could be making a strong comeback after years of decline.  But if anything good comes out of the strike, foot traffic in retail outlets will have rebounded in a big way - but sadly, it may be the norms from now on.

Without these incentives, CP will lose a lot of customers in the new year and it will worsen an already problematic financial crisis for the corporation.  But I won't be one of those customers that will cut ties with CP - and if CP loses a lot of customers, if anything good comes out of it I will likely get my packages much faster since there won't be very many packages to process due to the significant loss of customers.

CP is a much cheaper parcel service than its rivals, and I will be very sad if it declares bankruptcy - especially if they lose their holiday season this year, and if the business ceases to exist before next year's holiday season.

You should probably notify the person you bought the item from, and explain the situation.  They should have no problem giving you a refund at a later date.  If they choose not to give you a refund, you may have the right to file a lawsuit.

It is weird how post offices are still open, but maybe they're only open just to sell stamps and other merchandise.

Another idea that could happen after the strike is the introduction of C.O.D. fees.  Anybody who orders any item and gets delivered by Canada Post will have to pay cash upon delivery of the item (whether physical cash, debit card, or electronic payment).

Maybe the post offices staying open might contribute to CP's depletion of operating capital by early 2025.

Negotiations are resuming today.

The stuff I am returning I bought it from Amazon so I should be able to contact their customer support and extend the deadline further until a negotiation can be agreed on.

I feel like they are open at Shoppers Drug Mart location because i believe it’s to inform customers that due to the strike they will not be accepting any packages but I also wonder are they getting paid to just stay there while the whole union/workers are on strike.

I also heard that Canada Post and the union agreed to continue delivering the next round of government benefit cheques to citizens while on strike

Based on articles I have been reading lately, I learned that the union has several key demands. Among them include wages, job security, 40-hour work week, and pensions.  I'd say, as the talks continue during the strike, they will eventually have only two key demands left - most likely wages and job security.  The federal labour lawyer will likely inform them "you can only have one or the other" - and the union will likely, but reluctantly surrender the job security and take the wage hike.  Then, after the strike is settled, layoff notices will be issued to thousands of workers, possibly well over 10,000.  I wouldn't be shocked if there could be a big lump-sum signing bonus in any offer that takes place.  I mean, the Boeing offer that union accepted did have a big signing bonus, but in order to make that happen there had to be layoffs.

I was also affected. Purchased 4 eBay items from the US a week before the strike happened. They are currently "en route to Canada" so it's just a waiting game.

Now depending on how long this draws out, do I request a refund for unreceived item? Guess I'll wait and see...

walktothewater sometimes I feel afraid ordering banknotes or coins internationally because of stories many people had experienced before. It's unfortunate that it had happened to you but at least you got the refund back. As a new collector reading these replies and resources available helps me a lot and avoid making mistakes as a beginner

Feeling apprehensive in purchasing notes from overseas is understandable. It will take longer for your package to arrive & sometimes postage is more due to the distance & number of couriers involved in transporting your package.

I am very happy to say that my OP package arrived by courier this past Tuesday (19th)!  It arrived from Mississauga, ON slightly over a week from when I won.  If you follow my Notaphylic Culture website you will know I regularly buy from China & Thailand & 9 out of 10 times my packages arrived in 1 to 2 weeks.  I really wish I could say the same for my European orders!  I already posted that one did not arrive (from Spain) & I have bought several items from Europe.  For me, its been a "Crap shoot" with too many white knuckle, spotty arrival times.  I once swapped with an Italian seller & my package arrived in 3 weeks while his took 11 weeks to get here! I had "wrote it off" when it arrived. My most common purchases are from the US & I usually get my items from Asia before my US orders.

I have read countless eBay bashing on social media & that China only sells "fakes."  I remind collectors that eBay is the "wild wild west" (& it was one of the reasons I started selling some of my doubles). Research what you want & get to know the sellers. I have seen countless "Nazi" stamped circulated notes & other "manufactured" pseudo-junk being passed off as "POW" notes, etc, copies or "reproduktions" sold by Chinese, US, CDN & European based sellers. Check the sellers' feedback & practice due diligence & you can still do fine on eBay.

I stick with power sellers with huge "+" feedback scores & patronize their off-eBay sites & have never had an issue.

I'm sorry to read that some of you have purchases lingering somewhere due to the strike. Just be patient & I'm sure it will all work out once this labour dispute is sorted out.

Good luck everyone!

Was reading the news on my lunch break and I find that rural area are being affected a lot as Canada Post is the only postal company delivering there and even Ottawa Food Bank is getting affected by it. If the strike continues for a long time, my guess is the government may have to intervene and force them back to work like the CP Rail worker strike

I'd say they'll be legislated back to work by February at the latest.  The rural economy will be impacted greatly, and action will be needed.

Canada Post seems to be racing against the clock when it comes to getting a deal reached. Not only for the holiday season, but for the life of the company.  They made tiny movement in the talks recently, but that's normal early in a strike.  If the mediator keeps facilitating the talks, they may be able to save the holiday season, otherwise they may end up getting a deal reached when the low-demand period starts in January.

Unions tend to pick a peak period for going on strike.  If that tactic fails, they end up settling early in a period when demand would start to decline.  Happens in most strikes - especially transit strikes (which are usually settled by early February - when ridership is low, as hardly anyone wants to stand at a bus stop in bitter cold temperatures), and the 2023 Federal Public Service strike in which they chose tax season - the peak period - to walk off the job, and that deal was reached after that peak period ended.

Canada Post is under panic mode now, and they are fearing for the company's life.  They were on track of depleting their operating capital by early 2025 (and the strike might cause them to deplete their operating capital much sooner).

I think, when the strike is settled, they will likely settle on a 16 or 17% pay hike over four years, but in order to pay the workers that much money jobs will have to be cut.  I wouldn't be shocked if any job cuts happen, it will probably be announced in next year's federal budget - and the job cuts will be in the form of closing down post offices (and selling them) and consolidating them into bigger post offices, and even setting up postal centres inside convenience stores, additional drug stores, and even supermarkets.  I wouldn't be shocked if postal outlets may end up being set up in Loblaws-owned supermarkets.

As far as I know, talks haven't broken off - otherwise I would have noticed by now.

I've been renting the same P.O. Box in Ottawa at the main Alta Vista Terminal continuously since 1978 (over 45 years!) When I first opened the box the rental cost was around $30/year and now it's around $240/year. There have been numerous postal strikes (every 4 or 5 years?) since I opened the box but service always got back to "normal" relatively quickly. The one thing that has NEVER happened, however, was to receive any sort of compensation from Canada Post in relation to the strike periods during which my box was totally out of service. Not a big deal of course but typical of the times in which we live!

During the weeks prior to the current strike I found Canada Post's service to be excellent and tracked items that I sent to the the west coast were often arriving within two or three days. I even complimented the counter staff on the Corporation's efficient service! However, I always use FedEx when shipping more valuable items outside Canada and have never encountered problems. The shipping cost is very high but it brings peace of mind.

I learned as early as yesterday that the corporation was laying off union workers.  They laid off union workers every week since the strike began.  Isn't it illegal to lay off striking workers during or after a strike by Federal labour law, or are there exceptions if the layoffs have zero percent to do with the strike, and there has to be bona fide proof?

A cautionary tale of jumping prices:

I sold a record album (LP, vinyl) this week to a fellow in QC. As soon as I saw the order I messaged him to ask if he had heard about the strike and how he wanted to proceed. He responded with "Oh, that's right..." He asked for pricing with alternate carriers. I warned him of the highway robbery that those carriers inflict on Canadians through exorbitant customs, taxes, and imaginary "brokerage" fees, but he said to let him deal with that. Ok...

So I got a quote at UPS for $46.08 and FedEx (ground) for $31.91. He chose FedEx since it was substantially cheaper. But by the time I had got prices, sent the information to him, and received his approval, it was after 9pm, so I went to FedEx the next morning to ship his record. The FedEx lady told me it would be $38.35. I asked why it had jumped from $31.91 overnight; she said their rates are good for only one day, and increase each day until New Years.

Definitely a bait-and-switch, but I really had no choice. Rather than waiting yet another day to ask his approval and have the prices jump again, I just shipped it and ate the extra $6.44 as a cost of doing business. I'm worried the buyer is going to get hosed on taxes & fees, with his package held hostage, because that's what happened to a Canadian buyer the last time FedEx ground was chosen. I told him if it were me, I'd rather just wait for the strike to end and use USPS/Canada Post, and rest assured knowing that the shipping wouldn't cost me a penny over $19. But it was his choice, and he can't say he wasn't warned.

That doesn't surprise me & thanks for sharing. I have had really "iffy" service from FedEx so many times they remind me of those dodgy movers who's rates vary by the minute.

I have waited for packages & then (later) seen stickers at my door since the driver didn't bother to buzz me (etc, etc). I also have called to ask for rates & got different answers from different customer reps.  When I won a couple notes from a HA FUN auction, FedEx charged me a surcharge for paying the duty at customs (so I paid the duty + FedEx surcharge). I'm sure that could happen with the LP. Customs will likely determine its some type of expensive collector's item & charge a duty & then your buyer will also pay extra surcharges. 

Definitely a bait-and-switch, but I really had no choice. Rather than waiting yet another day to ask his approval and have the prices jump again, I just shipped it and ate the extra $6.44 as a cost of doing business. I'm worried the buyer is going to get hosed on taxes & fees, with his package held hostage, because that's what happened to a Canadian buyer the last time FedEx ground was chosen. I told him if it were me, I'd rather just wait for the strike to end and use USPS/Canada Post, and rest assured knowing that the shipping wouldn't cost me a penny over $19. But it was his choice, and he can't say he wasn't warned.

     

I'd rather wait for the strike to settle IMO.

A cautionary tale of jumping prices:

I sold a record album (LP, vinyl) this week to a fellow in QC. As soon as I saw the order I messaged him to ask if he had heard about the strike and how he wanted to proceed. He responded with "Oh, that's right..." He asked for pricing with alternate carriers. I warned him of the highway robbery that those carriers inflict on Canadians through exorbitant customs, taxes, and imaginary "brokerage" fees, but he said to let him deal with that. Ok...

So I got a quote at UPS for $46.08 and FedEx (ground) for $31.91. He chose FedEx since it was substantially cheaper. But by the time I had got prices, sent the information to him, and received his approval, it was after 9pm, so I went to FedEx the next morning to ship his record. The FedEx lady told me it would be $38.35. I asked why it had jumped from $31.91 overnight; she said their rates are good for only one day, and increase each day until New Years.

Definitely a bait-and-switch, but I really had no choice. Rather than waiting yet another day to ask his approval and have the prices jump again, I just shipped it and ate the extra $6.44 as a cost of doing business. I'm worried the buyer is going to get hosed on taxes & fees, with his package held hostage, because that's what happened to a Canadian buyer the last time FedEx ground was chosen. I told him if it were me, I'd rather just wait for the strike to end and use USPS/Canada Post, and rest assured knowing that the shipping wouldn't cost me a penny over $19. But it was his choice, and he can't say he wasn't warned.

UPS and FedEx are taking advantage of the Canada Post strike by charging customers outrageous prices. Today is Black Friday and I have a feeling that shipping prices will skyrocket as a result. I also wonder if a negotiation is still taking place as I heard on the news they are starting to layoff some employees. I hope they agreed to a deal because I am impacted by this and other people too, I was supposed to return a Amazon package and the deadline has passed as a result of me not being able to return it and I lose out on money. I would like to hear your thoughts about it.

Talks are suspended as of Wednesday.

Regarding the layoffs, they are said to be temporary.  But it makes me wonder if the decision to lay off workers could be a signal that Canada Post is preparing for its ultimate demise, as they are running out of money more and more as the strike drags on; or, layoffs may be necessary in order to give the remaining workers many of their key demands (but not everything).  I am thinking those temporary layoffs may be repeatedly extended or become permanent after the strike is over, and the truth will likely be revealed by that point.

I also learned from someone that Canada Post may run out of money by February 2025, which may be what is meant when they said "early 2025".  If true, then February may be a turning point in the strike.

I was surprised that USPS was still accepting packages to Canada up through Wednesday (closed yesterday for US Thanksgiving), although they were strongly recommending not shipping to Canada. Now this alert today:

Canada Post strike

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE SUSPENSION NOTICE
Effective Nov. 29, 2024, the Postal Service will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to Canada due to the foreign postal operator indicating that they are unable to process or deliver international mail or services as a result of the ongoing national strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to the following country, until further notice: Canada

So, folks, how do you think the postal strike will end?

What we know so far:

• CP could run out of operating capital (or simply put, run out of money) by early 2025 (believed to be February).
• CP has to pay $500 million in loan payments by July 2025.
  
• Workers are now being notified over the phone that they are being laid off.

Could this mean the service will be drastically different when it resumes? Could the strike end in the new year with the service resuming with just the core workers and not all 55,000 workers?

At this point, it seems as if Canada Post may already have been on its last legs even before the strike.  Mismanagement, plus inability to adapt to modern technology (in short, "technologically impaired"), may be what's killing the corporation.

So, it turns out there were two rounds of negotiations between the two sides in the last two weekends.  In this latest round, an offer with significant movement on key demands was made by the company to the union, but the union are extremely disappointed and claim the company went in the opposite direction.  I am thinking what that implies is that, while major movement was made on many of the key demands (including the top two issues - weekend delivery and wages), since there may have been major improvements in wages, something's got to go - and I have a feeling that may mean layoffs.  Of course, I could be wrong.

But at least I am happy that major movement is made, and one would think they are closer to a deal, especially since the corporation could run out of money by early 2025 - and that unfortunate milestone could be just weeks away.

Yesterday I came home seeing 2 packages on my door step. At first glance I saw a Canada Post logo on the package so I thought it was delivered by Canada Post but turns out the company that delivered the package to me used a different carrier to deliver the package to me to my house. Seems like major corporations are using different couriers and eating the cost of it (Can’t confirm for each company)

Also on the news UPS and Puralator will no longer be delivering packages due to the high demand they have gotten since the strike had happened.

Yesterday I came home seeing 2 packages on my door step. At first glance I saw a Canada Post logo on the package so I thought it was delivered by Canada Post but turns out the company that delivered the package to me used a different carrier to deliver the package to me to my house. Seems like major corporations are using different couriers and eating the cost of it (Can’t confirm for each company.

Could it be possible that some of those other couriers may be taking care of delivering packages on behalf of Canada Post during this strike? If so, could they be doing it after hours when there is nobody on the picket lines? Maybe this could be a sign that workers may not have much of a backlog to clear out after the strike ends, though there will definitely be a backlog of postal mail to deliver.  If a strike doesn't get settled until early in the new year, I expect the backlog could take until sometime in April or May before it is cleared out.

Looks like they were just legislated back to work.

Not yet, but could be as early as next week.

Seems like they are going back to work on Tuesday and Canada Post agreed to implement a 5% raise. Looks like not everyone may be back on the job and looks like the union is still fighting as they are appealing it to the CIRB.

I learned about some of the postal workers vowing to continue fighting and defying the legislation.  If memory serves correctly, the idea started in Calgary.

But the defiance is not prevalent in St. John's (where I live), as I saw a Canada Post truck in a parking lot at my workplace this afternoon.

The union are vowing a constitutional challenge, yet again. They did this after the 2018 strike that resulted in back-to-work legislation, and the challenge was dismissed by an Ontario judge.  Wouldn't be surprising if it will be dismissed again this time around.

According to sources, Canada Post will not be accepting new mail nor new packages until Thursday.  The 2018 agreement still applies and is extended to May 22.