Canada Post workers are on strike. Here’s what you need to know about your mail

How long will my mail take to arrive?

Customers should expect delays in mail and parcel delivery.

“Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike, and some post offices will be closed. Service guarantees will be impacted for items already in the postal network,” Canada Post spokesperson Lisa Liu said in a statement Friday morning.

“However, a national strike of any length will impact service to Canadians well after the strike activity ends. Processing and delivery may take some time to fully return to normal.”

Can I still send mail during the strike?

Canada Post says no new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over.

As the busy holiday season gets underway, Jim Bookbinder, a management sciences professor at the University of Waterloo, says if it’s an important piece of mail such as a Christmas gift, sending the item via an alternative courier service could be worth considering.

I ordered from a small business. Will I get it on time?

For small businesses, using courier services other than Canada Post could bring certainty in getting their items to customers but it will be more expensive.

Bookbinder said retailers who are mailing parcels will likely pay 30 to 40 per cent more on shipping if they consider alternatives such as FedEx or UPS.

Customers might be holding back from shopping online with small businesses, fearing it won’t arrive on time for the holidays, Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of advocacy at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said in a statement leading up to the strike. But, she said not to let the Canada Post strike sway you.

“Most small businesses are very resilient and pretty innovative and they will find ways to get you any products that you need, whether it be delivering it themselves,” she said.

“We see a lot of small businesses do that or using alternative couriers to get you what you need.”

Will I still receive my social assistance cheques from the government?

Canada Post and the union have agreed to continue delivering government benefit cheques, such as the Canada Child Benefit, old age security and the Canada Pension Plan, during the labour disruption. It said seniors and others who rely on the mail service will receive timely financial assistance.

All cheques for November are set to be delivered on Nov. 20.

Service Canada has urged Canadians to set up online accounts and direct deposits to receive their benefits without delays.

What about bank statements?

Several Canadian banks are urging customers to switch to online statements and e-banking to stay on top of their statements, bills and other banking communications.

For example, CIBC said customers are required to make regular payments and meet financial obligations on credit cards, loans and mortgages even if the postal disruption happens. Other banks, including Bank of Montreal and Scotiabank have issued similar statements.

How will Medicine Hat businesses be impacted?

A looming labour disruption for Canada Post could have an impact on Medicine Hat businesses — at least for those that still use the service.

Canada Post has been a staple for delivery services in the country since Canada’s confederation.

But its utilization has shrunk since as technology advances, less letter mail is sent and other companies take its market share away.

Scott Dent, owner at The Board House in Medicine Hat, does a lot of online shipments through his store, and utilizes a variety of companies.

“We have a program called ClickShip, and it usually gives us the best rate. We look on there to see what rate we can get, and then we determine it that way,” Dent said.

“It’s pretty seamless. It’s really nice actually.”

Dent said a lot of the time Canada Post is more expensive than other courier options, but can also be the only option to some rural areas, and any deliveries to post office boxes.

Weddingstar, a popular but mostly online retailer located just outside of Medicine Hat, uses Canada Post in a limited capacity, according to CEO Rick Brink.

“Most of our shipments are going through other couriers. We ship around the world and we have some good rates that ship into the U.S. and that makes it across Canada,” Brink said.

“Personally as a company, they’ll have little effect on us.”

Brink does see a work stoppage by Canada Post having stronger implications for others.

“Consumers bringing shipments in from the U.S., more than likely a lot of them do come through Canada Post, through the U.S. mail that gets transferred to Canada Post, they’re probably going to see a big effect on shipments,” Brink said.

“Then you’ve got the consumers who are shipping overseas, Christmas gifts and things like that, and a lot of them are using Canada Post and they would courier.”

“A big effect to the consumers, I would say.”

With Weddingstar being a volume shipper, they have locked in contracts for a lot of their shipping costs.

For a place like The Boarding Shop seeing a price increase at the other couriers if demand increases could be a potential concern.

“That’d be interesting to see what happens with that, if they do raise prices. I guess, if they’re so busy, they might have to. Just to keep things going for them,” Dent said.

“That would be tough, especially with online time coming up, Christmas, and it’s crunch time for retailers. The next two months are critical to us.”

The timing of the potential job action couldn’t be worse for those looking to have goods shipped to their home, with a lot of cyber sales and mail to be delivered heading into the Christmas season.

by Canadian Press, CHAT News Staff