Navigating the 2025 Canada Post Strike: What You Need to Know and How to Keep Your Supply Chain Moving

As of May 19, 2025, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) issued strike notices for both urban and Rural & Suburban Mail Carrier (RSMC) units, signalling the resumption of labour action starting May 23 at 12:00 am local time unless a deal is reached beforehand Canada Post. This follows the six-week walkout that ran from November 15 to December 17, 2024, which was suspended under a back-to-work order and whose expiry prompted the latest strike notice.

Where Negotiations Stand

May 21, 2025: Canada Post tabled new “global offers” to CUPW, enhancing proposed wage increases and protecting benefits—but withdrawing plans for a new health-benefits plan and pension changes for future hires Canada Post.

May 22, 2025: CUPW characterized these latest offers as “fall[ing] short,” bringing negotiations to a critical juncture with hours to spare

What to Expect During the Strike

• Before May 23: Normal mail and parcel delivery continues.
• Once the strike begins: No new items will be accepted or processed.
• All mail and parcels in the Canada Post network will be secured until operations resume Reuters.
• Exceptions: Socio-economic cheques (e.g., social assistance) and live-animal shipments already in the system will still be delivered, though new live-animal imports will be paused until after the strike ends CP24.
• Scope: Roughly 55,000 postal workers could walk off the job, potentially disrupting service for millions of Canadians and countless businesses

Potential Impacts on Your Business

• Delayed inbound and outbound shipments, affecting order fulfillment and customer satisfaction.
• Billing and cheque cycles may be interrupted if your clients rely on mailed payments outside of exception categories.
• E-commerce returns and time-sensitive documents (contracts, legal filings, warranties) could face multi-day backlogs.

Mitigation Strategies

1. Ship Early & in Bulk Consolidate outgoing parcels before May 23 to beat the work stoppage.
2. Leverage Alternative Carriers Consider courier services (e.g., UPS, FedEx) for high-priority items or sensitive documents.
3. Digitalize Where Possible Switch invoices, statements, and confirmations to email or portal-based delivery.
4. Plan Critical Deliveries For legally or financially bound deadlines, use guaranteed overnight or timed-delivery services.

How Olympia Transportation Can Help

At Olympia Transportation Ltd., we understand the critical nature of keeping your supply chain flowing even when postal services pause:

• Dedicated Fleet Services: FTL, LTL, and time-sensitive courier options coast-to-coast (and cross-border).
• 3PL Warehousing & Cross-Docking: Strategically located facilities in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, enabling rapid transfer and distribution without postal reliance.
• Expedited Parcel Solutions: Partnered with major carriers for guaranteed delivery windows.
• Real-Time Visibility: Our Warehouse Management System (WMS) and GPS-tracked fleet ensure you know where every shipment stands, 24/7.

Don’t let the Canada Post strike stall your operations—partner with Olympia for uninterrupted logistics support. Reach out today:

Let’s build resilience into your supply chain—strike or no strike.

Call Us: 1-604-549-0075
Email: [email protected]