Canada Post strike would have ‘significant impact’ on businesses : Retail Council

A looming strike at Canada Post has businesses scrambling.

Jim Cormier, Atlantic director of the Retail Council of Canada, told The Rick Howe Show that the internet may have decreased the number of stamps the average person buys, but that doesn’t mean the possible strike won’t have an impact on the public.

“Technology has minimized the effect around letter mail delivery with people using email and text messaging nowadays, but there’s not a technology out there yet that can email a package,” he explained. “There’s a lot of people who depend on the Canada Post service.”

The Crown corporation has warned in the event of a work stoppage mail will not be delivered, any mail or parcels they already have in the system will be secured, then delivered when operations resume.

Cormier said that would have a significant impact on retailers.

“If you’ve built your business around using Canada Post for delivery, then you have some major changes to make,” he said. “Not to mention that Canada Post has infrastructure all over the country, including in the more rural and remote areas of the country, that is hard to replicate.”

Cormier added the potential of a labour disruption has already impacted the retail sector, as they spend time and resources on contingency plans.

If a collective agreement can’t be reached between the Crown corporation and the postal workers unions, service could be halted as early as Saturday.

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