Canada Post Strike Strains Small Businesses

The Canada Post strike, involving 55,000 postal workers demanding a 23% wage increase over four years, has disrupted mail and parcel deliveries nationwide, coinciding with the crucial holiday shopping season. The strike began after a year of stalled negotiations over wages and working conditions, and it has significantly impacted small businesses, particularly those in remote areas and cities like Winnipeg and Calgary, which face increased costs from using more expensive courier services. Despite the disruption, some business owners support the workers' demands for better conditions. A special mediator has been appointed by the federal labor minister to assist in the negotiations, and both parties have agreed to continue delivering essential government benefit cheques during the strike. Canada Post has indicated that mail and parcels will be secured and delivered on a first-in, first-out basis once operations resume, but service disruptions could persist beyond the strike's end.