On Thursday, September 25, 2025, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) launched a nationwide strike, sending shockwaves through households and businesses across the country. The walkout, which is the second in less than a year, came just hours after the federal government announced sweeping reforms to Canada Post, including the elimination of door-to-door mail delivery for nearly all households within the next decade. The move, intended to shore up the finances of the struggling Crown corporation, has sparked fierce debate over the future of postal services in Canada, with both sides accusing each other of failing to act in good faith.
According to Reuters, the union declared the strike effective immediately in response to what it described as a government “attack on our postal service and workers.” In a statement, CUPW leadership said, “In response to the Government’s attack on our postal service and workers, effective immediately, all CUPW members at Canada Post are on a nationwide strike.” The union’s decision followed the announcement by Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound that the federal government would fully implement a community mailbox model and phase out door-to-door delivery for the remaining households that still receive it.
Canada Post quickly confirmed that its operations would be shut down for the duration of the strike, with no mail or parcels processed or delivered, and no new items accepted. “Canada Post’s operations will shut down during a national strike, affecting millions of Canadians and businesses across the country,” the corporation said in a statement. The impact was immediate and far-reaching, with millions of households and businesses forced to find alternative ways to send and receive important documents, parcels, and payments.
Minister Lightbound, speaking to the press, framed the government’s decision as a necessary response to the mounting financial pressures facing Canada Post. “Canada Post is a national institution, older than our country itself, that has been serving Canadians for more than 150 years. For generations, postal workers have connected communities in every corner of the country, providing an essential lifeline to hundreds of northern, Indigenous and rural communities,” he said. “At the same time, the service is facing an existential crisis and repeated bailouts from the federal government are not the solution.”
The reforms announced by Lightbound include not just the end of door-to-door delivery, but also a shift to slower delivery times and the closure of some post offices. The government expects the change to increase letter mail delivery times from an average of three to four days to three to seven days. Four million Canadians will have their service switched from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes, and the changes are projected to generate savings of about 400 million Canadian dollars (roughly 287 million US dollars) per year. More than three in four households already do not have door-to-door delivery, but a moratorium on expanding community mailboxes has now been lifted.
For postal workers on the ground, the announcement came as a shock. Nicole Chouinard, president of CUPW Local 812 in Prince George, told The Citizen that her members were blindsided by the government’s decision. “A lot of people were pretty shocked about what was announced today,” Chouinard said. “When the minister says that transitioning to … community mailboxes over door-to-door delivery will save the corporation hundreds of millions of dollars, that hundreds of millions of dollars that it will save is primarily in wages for workers. That will eliminate a lot of jobs in Prince George, specifically, but across the country as well. It will affect a lot of people. So, those savings are only half the story.”
Chouinard also highlighted the difficult position workers find themselves in, noting that postal workers were considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped keep Canadians connected during that period. “We were the reason why people could stay connected during that time and Canada Post never made more money than they did during COVID,” she said. “They strategically invested it and called it a loss, but that is not the reality.”
The union has criticized the government for a lack of consultation and transparency. In a statement, CUPW leadership said, “This slapdash approach without full public consultation is an insult to the public and to postal workers. The government may act as the sole shareholder, but the public owns the post office. There was no indication as to what this means for the planned mandate review – nor when that will happen given these massive changes. We cannot accept this attack on good jobs and public services. Let’s now turn our efforts to making sure the government and Canada Post hear us loud and clear. We have done it before. We will do it again.”
From the government’s perspective, the reforms are necessary to address what they describe as structural challenges and mounting losses—estimated at 10 million Canadian dollars per day—faced by Canada Post. “This situation is unsustainable. Canada Post is effectively insolvent, and repeated bailouts are not a long-term solution. Transformation is required to ensure the survival of Canada Post and protect the services Canadians rely on,” the government said in a statement, as reported by Reuters.
Canada Post, for its part, has echoed the government’s concerns about its financial future. The corporation warned that the strike would “further deteriorate Canada Post’s financial situation.” However, it also assured customers that some essential services would continue: “The agreement ensures government financial assistance delivered by mail will reach seniors and other Canadians who rely on it. It also remains the season for shipping live animals. A process is in place to ensure existing live animal shipments continue during a labour disruption; however, no new shipments will be accepted.”
As the strike unfolded, the City of Prince George issued guidance to residents, advising them to use e-billing or alternative payment methods to avoid late fees. A city spokesperson explained, “The city already offers e-billing for registered residents and encourages people who haven’t already to sign up online at princegeorge.ca/online-services to prevent any postage delays. In the case of a strike, the city recommends residents pay bills through their financial institution or at City Hall instead of by mail to avoid late fees.”
Amid the upheaval, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu urged both sides to return to the bargaining table. “Federal mediators remain available to support the bargaining process, and I encourage both parties to continue working toward a fair resolution,” she wrote in a statement. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce also called for negotiations in good faith, reflecting the widespread concern about the impact of the strike on the broader economy.
While the government insists that transformation is essential to the survival of Canada Post, the union remains steadfast in its opposition, vowing to continue job action until a fair resolution is reached. For now, Canadians are left to navigate a disrupted postal service and an uncertain future for one of the country’s oldest public institutions.
