As of Thursday evening, all 55,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began a nationwide legal strike, shutting down mail processing and delivery across the country. In Sarnia-Lambton, this action has pulled 125 members of CUPW Local 598 from their routes and onto the picket line. The mood locally is a mix […]
As of Thursday evening, all 55,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began a nationwide legal strike, shutting down mail processing and delivery across the country. In Sarnia-Lambton, this action has pulled 125 members of CUPW Local 598 from their routes and onto the picket line.
The mood locally is a mix of frustration and resolve. “After picketing Friday, the mood on the picket line was a mix of surprise, frustration, and disappointment,” said Colin McColeman, Vice-President of Sarnia Local 598. He noted the financial strain on members, many of whom have not fully recovered from the month-long strike in November of 2024. “Negotiations have been going on for almost two years now and this is our second strike within a year… It feels like we’re in a fight at school, but we’re fighting the principal’s son.”
At the core of the dispute are sweeping changes authorized by the federal government, based on the recommendations of the Kaplan Industrial Inquiry Commission report. These changes would end door-to-door delivery, moving all customers to community mailboxes, and reduce letter mail delivery to two or three days a week.
For Sarnia residents, McColeman warns the impact would be significant. “Canadians with mobility impairments will have even less access to their mail, receiving their mail at their door as little as once a week,” he explained.
The plan also threatens the viability of rural post offices across Lambton County. Local 598 represents workers in Bright’s Grove, Wyoming, Petrolia, Corunna, Camlachie, Courtright, Forest, and Oil Springs, with most of these offices facing potential closure. This follows the recent closures of the Alvinston office, now serviced out of Wyoming, and the Mooretown office, now serviced out of Courtright.
While Canada Post points to a financial crisis—citing over $5 billion in losses from operations since 2018—as the reason for the drastic overhaul, the union alleges the crisis is a result of corporate mismanagement.
“The bailout that Canada Post received was squandered by Doug Ettinger and the management of the company, giving bonuses down to the supervisor level the entire road to insolvency,” McColeman claimed. He pointed to several large expenditures, including the purchase of the logistics company Livingston for hundreds of millions, a new high-tech sorting facility that he says “functions at a fraction of its capacity,” and a fleet of new “green” delivery vehicles, many of which “have been documented rotting away unused.”
McColeman also highlighted what he sees as a conflict of interest with CEO Doug Ettinger, who sits on the board of Purolator, a company 90% owned by Canada Post. “During the previous strike much of our business disappeared to Purolator which offered shipping at Canada Post’s rates during our strike,” McColeman said. “Ettinger just started putting your money in his other pocket and set the stage for dismantling this historic institution.”
In an email to The Sarnia Journal, Canada Post Media Relations representative Lisa Liu dismissed the union’s claims. “The claim that the company is purposely being undermined is completely false and has no basis in fact,” Liu stated. She argued that customer uncertainty, fueled by union strike actions, has led to a drop in parcel volumes as customers “have chosen other carriers.” Regarding the Purolator issue, the corporation stated that Purolator operates independently and that questions about its volumes should be directed to them.
In a press release, Canada Post framed the government-backed reforms as essential to “chart a strong, financially sustainable path forward.” The corporation maintains that CUPW’s contract demands—which they estimate would add over $700 million a year in new costs—are unaffordable. The company described itself as “effectively insolvent” and stated that without these changes, mounting losses would have to be covered by taxpayers.
The union contends that the corporation has refused to negotiate in good faith, instead relying on federal intervention. McColeman says the plan amounts to an attack on both workers and the public. “The corporation is going to increase the cost of services while also reducing the quality of those services,” he said. “For every position that disappears, that is another household without a reliable income.”
From the union’s perspective, a sustainable public post office would expand services into new revenue streams like postal banking or insurance, strategies used by other national postal services to become profitable.
McColeman had a direct message for Sarnia-Lambton residents frustrated by the service disruption. “We really love our customers. During the pandemic we didn’t miss a single day of service… We have been met by our company and the federal government with absolute contempt for two years since negotiations began,” he said. “We are backed into a corner, and now we must do what is necessary to defend your community. We really appreciate your support.”
The union is asking residents who support their position to contact Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu and urge her to demand that Canada Post negotiate a fair contract. The Sarnia Journal reached out to the offices of MP Marilyn Gladu and Minister Joël Lightbound for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
“If Canada Post and the federal government are allowed to steam roll public postal services it will be yet another step towards a country that is run by corporate values instead of Canadian values,” McColeman concluded. “I would also like to take a moment to thank the members of the public and other unions who have supported us time and time again. Our fundraising for local charities like the Sarnia Humane Society have made a huge impact on our community and it is all thanks to you.”
