The union representing Canada's postal workers has issued a strike notice for May 23, as negotiations over a new collective bargaining deal have stalled out and tensions between the two sides have escalated.

According to a May 19 release from Canada Post (CP), the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) issued a 72-hour strike notice on May 19. CUPW confirmed that the notice had been issued in a separate release, claiming that the decision was made in response to CP's "indication that it may unilaterally change working conditions and suspend employee benefits."

Days before the strike notice was issued, Canada's Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) released a report providing recommendations for the future of CP's business model, including an end to a moratorium on post office closures, the introduction of part-time positions to handle weekend deliveries and extra volume during the week, and revisions to CP's delivery standards. While CP said that it "welcomes the report's recommendations," the CUPW expressed that it "fundamentally disagrees" with the bulk of the IIC's report, while asserting that it would lead to "major rollbacks to important provisions in our existing collective bargaining agreement."

CP paused collective bargaining talks with the CUPW on May 13, claiming that the union has "either held or hardened its previous positions on key issues," and citing a need to take more time to "prepare proposals designed to help advance negotiations." A day later, the CUPW put out a release insisting that CP "must get back to the table now" to resume talks before the union's existing deal expires on May 22.

Should the CUPW move forward with a national strike on May 23, CP says that mail and parcels won't be delivered, and no new items will be accepted until the stoppage has ended. If the CUPW opts for a smaller-scale rotating strike, customers should still expect delays for processing and delivery times.

CP has struggled financially for years, having recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax since 2018. Early in 2025, CP also received a $1 billion loan from the federal government to save it from insolvency, and laid off 50 management employees as part of what it labeled a "critical financial situation."