Canada Post ‘fully prepared’ for holiday rush after last year’s disruptive strike

A Canada Post worker delivers mail in Barrie, Ont., after a large snowstorm blanketed the region one day before Christmas, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Drost

Canada Post says it’s ready for the holiday rush and expects to deliver letters and parcels on time coming out of its labour turmoil of the past two years.

The postal service said Tuesday that commercial volumes “are flowing” and it continues “to process and deliver new items safely and quickly as we manage our network.”

“We are fully prepared to support businesses during their busiest season and deliver for Canadians this holiday,” said Canada Post spokeswoman Lisa Liu in an emailed statement.

“Mail and parcels are moving as expected — items can be inducted, pickups are underway, and we are processing and delivering new items safely and efficiently.”

Last month, Canada Post and the union representing thousands of its mail carriers agreed in principle to a set of new contracts. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers suspended rotating strikes as the two sides work out language in the new contracts, and the postal service agreed to the same terms for any lockout action.

The two sides sparred the last few years over wage hikes and structural changes to the postal service’s workforce, including proposals to introduce more part-time workers and seven-day-a-week delivery.

Postal workers have taken to the picket line on multiple occasions in the bargaining process, including a disruptive strike ahead of the holidays last year. The federal government asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to step in to quash that strike, and set up an Industrial Inquiry Commission to determine a path forward.

CUPW, which represents 55,000 members of the postal service, declared another countrywide strike on Sept. 25, hours after the federal government announced changes to Canada Post’s business model including the eventual end of door-to-door mail delivery for nearly all households.

The union transitioned to rotating stoppages in October prior to reaching an agreement in principle.

Liu said shoppers should check Canada Post’s website for any delivery service alerts affecting Canada or international destinations.

She added that when shopping online, customers can review the retailer’s shipping details and select the delivery option that best meets their needs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2025.

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press