Canada Post Workers Launch Strike Amid Federal Government's Announced Changes; Expect Postal Delays
/The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has launched a national strike on Thursday afternoon following the federal government’s announcement of significant reforms.
The CUPW had issued a strike earlier this year in late May. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, made the announcement of Canada Post’s changes on Thursday.
“Canada Post is now facing an existential crisis. Since 2018, the corporation has accumulated more than $5 billion in losses. In 2024 alone, it lost over $1 billion and in 2025, it is already on track to lose close to $1.5 billion,” he said. “Earlier this year, the federal government provided a $1-billion injection to keep the corporation operational. In the second quarter of 2025, Canada Post posted its worst quarterly results ever, losing $407 million. Today, the corporation is losing approximately $10 million every day.”
The following are the changes that Lightbound had announced:
Letter Mail Delivery Standards: Canada Post will introduce flexibilities to reflect today’s lower volumes. The average household receives just two letters per week, yet operations remain designed for far higher volumes. By adjusting standards so that non-urgent mail can move by ground instead of air, the corporation will save more than $20 million per year.
Community Mailbox Conversions: The government is lifting the moratorium on community mailbox conversions. Currently, three-quarters of Canadians already receive mail through community, apartment, or rural mailboxes, while one-quarter still receive door-to-door delivery. Canada Post will be authorized to convert the remaining four million addresses to community mailboxes, generating close to $400 million in annual savings.
Postal Network Modernization: The moratorium on rural post offices, in place since 1994, will also be lifted. The rural moratorium was imposed in 1994 and covers close to 4,000 locations. It has not evolved in 30 years, but Canada has changed. This means that areas that used to be rural may now be suburban or even urban, but are still required to operate as rural post offices. Canada Post must return to the government with a plan to modernize and right-size its network.
