Mail delivery is set to resume on a limited basis after the union representing Canada Post employees announced it would transition from a countrywide strike to rotating stoppages starting Saturday morning.
The decision, announced late Thursday night, will get mail and parcels moving again, even as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said rotating strikes will begin at 6 a.m. local time.
The union said local branches will be informed when it's their turn to rotate out of service closer to that time.
"This will start mail and parcels moving, while continuing our struggle for good collective agreements and a strong public postal service," CUPW national president Jan Simpson said in a statement.
The move is helpful to small businesses that rely on the postal service, but still doesn't provide the certainty they need, said Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Dan Kelly.
“CUPW’s strategy to push more customers away from Canada Post to more reliable alternatives was bizarre," he said in a statement.
"While it is good news to see some resumption of service, rotating strikes will mean continued uncertainty, backlogs, delayed deliveries and frustrated customers. We urge the government to bring a full end to the strike and press forward with their announced reforms as soon as possible.”
CUPW, which represents 55,000 members of the postal service, declared the countrywide strike on Sept. 25, hours after the federal government announced changes to Canada Post's business model.
That included the eventual end of door-to-door mail delivery for nearly all Canadian households.
Other government measures include an end to a moratorium on community mailbox conversions. That authorizes the mail carrier to convert the remaining four million addresses that still receive door-to-door delivery in a move that would save nearly $400 million annually.
The government also said it would end a moratorium on closing rural post offices that has been in place since 1994, covering close to 4,000 locations. It said closing some offices in regions that are no longer rural will reduce duplication in overserved areas.
Meanwhile, non-urgent mail will be cleared to move by ground instead of air, reflecting a decline in delivery volumes. Ottawa said this would save Canada Post more than $20 million per year.
Joël Lightbound, the minister responsible for Canada Post, said he's encouraged by CUPW's move to rotating strikes.
"Canadians count on mail delivery, and I’m glad to hear it will be moving again while negotiations between the union and Canada Post continue," he said in a social media post.
The union's announcement came a day after meeting with Lightbound. CUPW voiced concerns about the government's recently announced changes.
"We could not stand by as the government announced its plans to allow Canada Post to gut our postal service and slash thousands of our jobs," Simpson said.
"Contract after contract, this employer has sought to chip away at postal services, worker rights and good jobs, and its latest offers are an outright attack on public service. The government’s announcement on Sept. 25 also emboldened Canada Post to continue making a mockery of the bargaining process."
Simpson said the union plans to meet with Lightbound's office again next week.
Federal mediators remain available to help the two sides reach an agreement, said Jennifer Kozelj, a spokeswoman for Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu.
"The world of work is rapidly changing, driven by new technology, global influence, and evolving service needs," she said in an emailed statement.
"CUPW and Canada Post have a responsibility to find common ground that protects good jobs and secures the future of Canada's national postal service. Canadians are counting on them."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
