Report of the Industrial Inquiry Commission on Negotiations between Canada Post and CUPW

[dinomitesales]

The full report has been made available by commissioner William Kaplan if anyone is interested.

It's 162 pages long but I've seen a few news reports already about selected passages and recommendations.

https://williamkaplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CANADA-POST-IIC-Report-ENG-2025.pdf

Broad strokes are confirmation that Canada Post is effectively insolvent, despite the union's crys that such statements were manufactured or exaggerated. Major changes need to be made to how parcel delivery works. Both sides need to concede things to reach an agreement (but the union moreso than the corporation). The moratorium on rural post office closures and community mailbox conversions needs to end (this was a decision made by Trudeau back in 2015).

Overall, the report definitely leans more in favour of Canada Post than the union.

We'll see how the government responds within the next week I guess.

[dinomitesales]

Canada Post has put out their own statement, including a 5-page summary that can be read here:
https://infopost.ca/wp-c/u/2025/05/f1-iic-key-findings.pdf

Obviously, this summary is more skewed in CPCs favor, but it still highlights the main points that the commissioner identified as needing to change.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

It's too bad, if they have to strike, it can't be rotating vs lockout. That way at least stuff keeps on moving. Even if it is a bit ummm inconsistent. Better late than who knows when. That way grandma can still get her utility bill in the mail because she doesn't pay on line. Or small businesses that are already stressed enough can keep on selling without trying to get creative when it comes to a back up shipping method. 

Sujggestions as per eBay:

• Offer alternative shipping options. Whenever possible, offer alternatives to Canada Post on your listing. eBay sellers receive eBay-negotiated discounts on UPS and FedEx services through eBay Labels as well, so consider familiarizing yourself with these services.  
• Specify your shipping service. Buyers may be more hesitant to purchase an item if they don’t know the service being used. To ensure buyers are confident they’ll receive their item on time, we suggest specifying the exact shipping service you intend to use on your listing. 

Rotating Strikes:

• Rotating Strikes are a Union Strategy:

  Rotating strikes involve withdrawing services at different locations on a rotating basis. This allows the union to exert pressure without completely shutting down the entire operation. 
• Legally Permissible:

  Strike action in Canada is regulated by collective bargaining laws, but rotating strikes are not explicitly prohibited. The decision to use a rotating strike is within the union's discretion. 

  • CP's Actions:

    While Canada Post's statements may imply limitations on the union's actions, they are likely referring to their own ability to manage the consequences of a strike, not a legal restriction on the union using a rotating strike. For example, a rotating strike would impact the ability of CP to deliver mail and packages, and could affect their ability to provide essential services. 
  • Previous Use:

    CP has used rotating strikes in the past, indicating that it's a viable tactic. In the 2024 strike, the CUPW (Canadian Union of Postal Workers) did not use a rotating strike. 
  • Current Negotiations:

    The current negotiations between the CUPW and Canada Post are focused on reaching a collective agreement, not on legal restrictions on strike actions. 

  In conclusion, CP can't be legally prevented from having a rotating strike; it's a matter of strategy for the union. However, CP's financial situation and the potential impact on essential services might influence their response to the union's choice of a rotating strike, as well as how they manage the consequences of any strike. 

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

For people who ship parcel, just change to UPS. For most locations, the cost is going to be comparable to Canada Post. The exception would be very small items that qualify for Expedited Lite, or small US items that would cost less than $10 with Tracked Packet. The $2 domestic surcharge might erase some of those savings. If a UPS store isn't convenient, consider using an extended handling time like 5 days so that you can drop packages off one day a week. 

The BIG issue with UPS is that it can disrupt your price structure if you market around free shipping. With Canada Post, there are flat rate costs (by size) for Tracked Packet USA, and flat rate boxes for Canadian parcels. This makes it really easy to bundle in the shipping price with the Buy It Now price because you have a worst case scenario type ceiling to refer to. UPS shipping can vary wildly and some rural or far-out locations can cost $100+ to ship a small package that is $10-$20 to most major cities.  I use free shipping, but I changed to calculated shipping for the strike because of the above issue.

If you ship lettermail stuff, there is no real substitute. Stallion at $7 domestic is still a lot more expensive than lettermail (especially if you use discount stamps). There is the same issue with rural or far-out locations. For lettermail sellers, I would not risk taking sales because if this is like last time around, eBay isn't going to back people who don't have tracking. What I did was switch to UPS calculated shipping as sort of a soft-removal of my items since most people are not going to pay $10-$20 for shipping on an item that is only worth $20. 

Keep in mind, I understand not everybody has access to every alternate carrier. So the above advice assumes they at least have access to UPS. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@ilikehockeyjerseys 

Getting home pick up can be challenging with UPS depending on where you live. If they do do home pickups you have to be home when they arrive and often easier to book for next day. Depots can be either a major drive or several buses. UPS recently added surge pricing of 2.00 per shipment. Starts this Sunday.

htts://community.ebay.ca/t5/Announcements/Demand-surcharges-for-UPS-shipping-in-Canada/ba-p/521495

Yes, UPS does charge for home pickups. The exact cost depends on the type of pickup requested and how it's scheduled. For example, a same-day pickup requested via phone will cost more than a same-day pickup scheduled online, and future-day pickups are typically less expensive than same-day pickups. 

Here's a breakdown of the potential charges:

On-Call Pick-up:

• Same-day pickup (phone request): $4.90 CAD
• Same-day pickup (UPS.com request): $3.35 CAD
• Future-day pickup (phone request): $3.05 CAD
• Future-day pickup (web request): $1.50 CAD 
  For many the only real solution is to shut down until things work there way out. I'm in that camp. Next trip out the door for me is for marshmellows. I'm good for firewood.

We've all seen the reports of magical upcharges with fedex after the fact so probably a non starter for many.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

Everybody has a different situation. My above post assumes whoever would entertain that advice has access to UPS. 

In a situation where a seller has access to UPS, but it is not convenient (doesn't run a business full time, nobody home to facilitate pickups, store is inconvenient), I would recommend extending handling time to 5 days so that orders can be dropped off or picked up once a week. 

For anybody who has a higher volume and can facilitate daily pickups, I would strongly recommend signing up for UPS on route pickups. Last time around, they were $8 a week for me. The reason that I recommend this is because UPS suspended on-demand pickups during the previous strike because of the rise in volume, but still fulfilled pickups for subscribers. You can subscribe through their website. 

The point of my post isn't to say that everybody can use UPS, Stallion, Fedex, or whatever alternative has worked for others. I understand that some people simply don't have access, or can't make it work. But there are going to be a lot of people who the info is relevant to who may find it helpful. 

[mrdutch1001]

The current issue with eBay's estimated delivery time is such that it matters not what your handling time is the estimated delivery time is not adjusted accordingly. For example for shipping to the USA, I currently have 6 day handling time and standard shipping yet estimated delivery time to the USA is between May 21st and May 27th>NOT acceptable.