The Canada Post strike continues to be at the top of the news and a great concern for business and the public, as package delivery has been held up across the country through rotating strikes carried out by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
But Government “Back to Work” legislation has just passed, which essentially ended the strike and sent the striking workers back to the job at noon on Tuesday, November 27.
For those who have been and are affected by the strike, reports from Canada Post are that the backlog is severe and expected to worsen as orders from Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are processed.
The strike has had an effect on fulfillment worldwide, but as mentioned in our previous post, AMS is well positioned to recommend forms of delivery in addition to postal services, keeping the effect on our clients to a minimum.
The following is the latest update from Canada Post:
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Efforts underway to stabilize operations, however unprecedented backlogs will continue to mean lengthy delays for customers
As of noon Eastern Time today, the union is no longer in a legal strike position. We expect employees to return to work in areas impacted by strike activity in the last 24 hours. Canada Post is now working to stabilize operations with a manageable approach across the country. With our network currently facing unprecedented backlogs, customers can continue to expect delivery delays for the next several weeks.
We will provide regular updates about our outlook as we manage volumes and stabilize our operations. Hundreds of trailers are currently waiting to be unloaded in our yards, securely stored off-site, on the road or staged at commercial customers’ locations. In addition, many delivery depots are at capacity and temporarily unable to receive more items from processing plants. There is also a shortage of equipment, such as containers, available for commercial customers.
Our current outlook is:
• for parcels: Deliveries will continue but be delayed during the peak holiday season and into January 2019. Existing backlogs are expected to worsen this week due to high volumes from Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
• for Lettermail: The backlog should be cleared and deliveries current before December 25.
• for International parcels: Delays are likely to stretch into March of 2019. International items will require screening by the Canada Border Services Agency. We are working in partnership with them to manage the significant existing backlog.
• for direct marketing mail: We expect to be current before December 25, but some delays may occur and time-sensitive pieces will be delivered on a best-effort basis.
Once Canada Post receives mail or parcels from customers, it is processing and delivering on a first-in, first-out basis.
As Canada Post works to reduce the backlogs, which represent a significant operational challenge, the health and safety of our employees will remain our highest priority.
Customers can go to canadapost.ca/update for updates or follow us on twitter @canadapostcorp for the latest developments.
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This news report goes into some depth about the legislative decision.