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Canada Post workers have gone on strike as of early Friday morning, after failing to reach an agreement after a year-long deliberation with their employer.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says approximately 55,000 workers in its urban, rural and suburban mail carrier bargaining units are striking.
Canada Post explained in a statement on Friday that its operations will shut down, affecting millions of Canadians and businesses alike.
Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered during the nationwide strike and some post offices will be closed.
Canada Post has warned that Canadians will face delays in receiving their mail.
Locally, Hastings County is encouraging Ontario Works clients to sign up for online services in order to receive their payments. They are letting people know to reach out to their case workers if they have questions.
In Bancroft, Mayor Paul Jenkins says that people can come to the municipal office to pay their Town bills such as water and taxes.
The mayor acknowledged that while its important to respect worker’s rights and the collective bargaining process, he hopes the strike won’t last long.
“A lot of businesses and small business, rely on the post office. There’s a lot of online business that send parcels out, they send invoices out, people receive cheques by the mail, etcetera. So it obviously will have a substantial impact, especially the longer that it goes on.”
Canada Post has stated that disrupted postage will be delivered on a first-in, first-out basis once operations resume, but that the impact of the strike will be felt even after it ends.
A release from the postal workers’ union stated that “Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike but has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day.”
-With files from Melissa Dunphy