The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is urging the federal government to intervene in the Canada Post strike, saying the work stoppage is damaging the country’s retail sector and having “considerable impact” to rural, northern and remote communities.
The letter, cosigned by chambers of commerce from across the country and sent to Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon and Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, says the nearly two-week-long strike is “yet another blow to our supply chains.”
It also says the work stoppage has had a “disproportionate impact” to entrepreneurs and small businesses engaged in e-commerce.
The chamber adds the issues are exacerbated in northern, rural and remote communities where “alternatives to Canada Post are not available.”
Earlier this week, MacKinnon pressed both the Crown corporation and its workers’ union to urgently find a solution after mediated talks were temporarily suspended Wednesday.
He said in a post on X that the special mediator had determined the parties “remain too far apart on critical issues for mediation to be successful at this time.”
In its letter, the chamber said the country’s supply chains have dealt with “constant strain” due to flooding, wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and blockades and strikes last year at the ports of B.C. and the St. Lawrence Seaway added to that.
It also noted the recent labour disputes at CN Rail and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail strike this summer and the labour disputes at the B.C. and Montreal ports this fall.
“There has simply been no reprieve for Canadians counting on stable prices and predictable movement of goods,” the chamber notes in its letter.
The chamber is not the first to call on the federal government to intervene, however, with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business calling on Ottawa early this week to step in and end the job action by either imposing binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation.
In its letter, the chamber issued a similar call for intervention, though it did not specifically say what action it would like to see.
“While we acknowledge your engagement and efforts to have all parties resume negotiations alongside federal mediators, Canadian families, communities, and businesses need to see a resolution,” the chamber wrote.
MacKinnon said Wednesday binding arbitration was “not in the cards” right now, though he did not rule out that route if no progress is seen.
Due to the Liberals’ minority government, back-to-work legislation would need to be passed with the help of at least one opposition party and the NDP has already ruled out passage of any such bill, meaning the Conservatives or Bloc Quebecois would be needed to support sending Canada Post workers back to work.
—with files from Global News’ Saba Aziz and Sean Boynton