Another Canada Post Strike Means It's Time for Multi-Carrier Shipping
For the second autumn in a row, a Canada Post strike has landed just before the holiday rush. The national strike that began September 25 became rotating strikes on October 11, and delivery guarantees remain suspended. It's time to treat a second carrier as permanent.
Published Oct 14, 2025. Author: Ecomm Guys. 4 min read.
Key Points
- CUPW began a national strike on September 25, 2025, and moved to rotating strikes on October 11.
- Canada Post said it wouldn't accept new commercial volumes until October 15, and that all service guarantees are suspended.
- Canada Post says there have been more than 170 days of strike activity in less than a year.
- A CBC report found businesses that already used FedEx and UPS saw little impact.
- Set up at least two carriers, local pickup, and clear delivery messages now, before BFCM.
What's Happened
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers launched a national strike on September 25, the day the federal government announced changes to Canada Post's operations. CBC reported that more than 55,000 postal workers walked out after the government authorized Canada Post to end door-to-door delivery and lifted a long-standing moratorium on closing rural post offices.
On October 10, Canada Post said the union would move to rotating strikes from October 11. Operations would restart, but new commercial volumes wouldn't be accepted until October 15 while trapped mail and parcels were processed. All service guarantees are suspended, and Canada Post doesn't know in advance which locations rotating strikes will affect. Items caught in an affected facility can't be retrieved until the disruption ends.
This Is Now a Pattern
Canada Post itself says Canadians and businesses have faced more than 170 days of strike activity in less than a year, including two national strikes. Last December, the federal government ordered striking workers back after a month-long strike that ran into the holiday shipping season.
CBC's reporting shows what that does to small online sellers. A Winnipeg trading card shop owner said repeated strikes had pushed online sales from about half of his business to roughly 10%, and estimated this strike would cost him $5,000 a month. A nearby comic shop that already shipped with FedEx and UPS described the impact as minimal. Same kind of product. The carrier setup made the difference.
Build a Multi-Carrier Setup
Relying on a single carrier is now a business risk for Canadian stores. Set up at least one courier alongside Canada Post, and keep it active all year so it's ready when you need it.
- Open accounts with one or two couriers, such as UPS, FedEx, or Purolator. Then compare rates for your common parcel sizes and destinations.
- Use a shipping app or Shopify Shipping setup that can print labels for more than one carrier.
- Review shipping profiles and rates in Shopify so customers see accurate costs for courier service, especially for rural addresses.
- Decide in advance when you'll switch orders away from Canada Post, for example when a strike notice is issued.
Pickup and Clear Messaging
Local pickup and local delivery in Shopify let nearby customers skip carriers entirely. If you have a shop, studio, or warehouse, turn them on and test them.
Be direct with customers. Use an announcement bar to say which carriers you use and how the strike affects delivery. Update delivery times on product pages and in your shipping policy. Email customers with orders stuck in the Canada Post network and tell them what you're doing about it. Shoppers are more forgiving of a delay they were told about than one they discover.
Plan for BFCM Now
Black Friday is about six weeks away. Courier capacity and pickup schedules get tight in November, so set up accounts and test labels now rather than the week of. If your margins depend on Canada Post's small business rates, consider adjusting free shipping thresholds or courier rates in advance instead of absorbing higher costs through the season.
This Week
This week, open a courier account if you don't have one, add it to your shipping app, and print a test label. Update your shipping profiles, turn on local pickup if it fits your business, and publish a short delivery update on your site. Then keep the second carrier running after the strike ends.
Need multi-carrier shipping set up in Shopify before BFCM? Book a call with our team.
Sources
- CUPW has launched a national strike that will cause postal delays for Canadians Canada Post, September 2025
- Customers should expect delays as CUPW moves to rotating strikes Canada Post, October 2025
- Winnipeg business owner worried customers have abandoned online shopping amid Canada Post strike CBC News, October 2025