For almost two weeks, 55,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have been striking against concessions demanded by Canada Post. The CUPW is fighting for wage increases that match inflation, pension protection, and safe working conditions. The union warns that Canada Post’s push for part-time work and contracting out reflects a broader race-to-the-bottom in labor standards.
The dispute is about more than postal workers — privatization and precarious work threaten union gains across different sectors. Amazon’s anti-union model, with its reliance on gig workers and independent contractors, has set a dangerous precedent for other companies, including Canada Post. By driving down wages and undermining labor protections, Amazon is pushing an approach that threatens workers everywhere. The CUPW’s vision for a revitalized, publicly oriented postal service is in direct conflict with Amazon’s corporate model, which erodes workers’ power and public goods alike.
If you’ve heard anything about Canada’s postal service, it’s probably that it’s losing money. A lot of money. And there’s little sign that the hemorrhage will stop anytime soon.
Last year, the government-owned corporation reported an annual loss of $748 million and warned it could run out of operating capital by early 2025, unless it came up with new borrowing or refinancing options. Canada Post’s operations aren’t actually subsidized by the federal government. It’s expected to serve every single address in the country and still break even, with limits on the prices it can charge and the services it can offer.
With the ascension of electronic communication, letter mail volumes have plunged, meaning there’s…
Auteur: Paris Marx
