News releases

Small businesses, rural Canadians and senior citizens will all be impacted by a postal disruption

Canada Post employees have a special relationship with Canadians and understand better than most how much they depend on mail service and how a work disruption will adversely impact them.

While mail volumes have declined, Canada Post continues to play a vital role in the economy as an important enabler of trade and commerce in Canada. It is by far the largest residential parcel delivery company serving all Canadians no matter where they live.

Businesses Would Be Hurt
Small and medium-sized businesses depend on Canada Post to fill orders, bill customers or collect payments. Thousands of small and medium-sized businesses rely on the postal system for invoicing and cash flow. A mail strike would threaten their revenues and cash flow in a fragile economy.

Rural Canada Would Be Vulnerable
In many rural and remote communities, Canada Post is the main parcel delivery service, and competitors rely on Canada Post to provide delivery service outside large metropolitan cities. A mail strike would virtually shut down parcel delivery in rural and remote communities and disrupt the ability of rural Canadians to receive crucial documents such as passports, medical test results and licenses. Canadians in the Far North would be particularly affected, as Canada Post is an essential link for receiving virtually everything.

Seniors Would Be Hard Hit
For many seniors, the post office is one of the few convenient access points to the outside world, and they rely on the daily visits by their mail carrier. Some, particularly in rural Canada, have no other options.

Canada Post's presence in every community and its ability to reach all Canadians is unmatched, as is its reliability and affordability. In order to maintain service to all Canadians while remaining financially self-sufficient, Canada Post is making necessary changes by investing in its infrastructure, reducing management and rationalizing its operations. But the company needs to do more to balance the needs of its customers, employees and Canadians. That is why the company has proposed a deal to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers that offers employees better pay and benefits than they currently enjoy, while addressing the pressures the company faces due to declining Lettermail volumes and a pension solvency deficit of more than $3 billion.

Customers of Canada Post can find updated information about the company's labour situation online at www.infopost.ca/customer. The French version of the website can be found at www.infoposte.ca/client.