Postal workers across Canada have walked off the job.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced a national strike that began one minute after midnight this morning, shutting down mail delivery and affecting millions of Canadian residents and businesses.
Union officials say mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the strike, and some post offices will be closed. Service guarantees will be impacted for items already in the postal network. No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over.
In a published statement, CUPW officials say all mail and parcels in the postal network will be secured and delivered as quickly as possible on a first-in, first-out basis once operations resume. However, a national strike of any length will impact service to Canadians well after the strike activity ends.
There are a number of local rural post offices, including Pain Court and Dresden, in which workers are represented by the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association. CPAA officials have said although its members are not in a legal strike position, the union stands in solidarity with CUPW.