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The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has announced it will temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to Canada.
Canada Post has indicated that it is unable to process or deliver international mail or services due to the ongoing national strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
Customers are asked to refrain from mailing items addressed to Canada until further notice.
Newsweek reached out to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers via email for comment on Monday outside of normal working hours.
USPS said that this service disruption affects all classes of international mail, including letters, parcels, and express services, specifically Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS), International Priority Airmail® (IPA), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL), Commercial ePacket® (CeP), and M-Bag® items.
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The U.S. Postal Service said it is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to update customers until the situation returns to normal. Regular updates on all postal service disruptions in Canada are available at canadapost.ca/negotiations.
As reported previously by Newsweek, approximately 55,000 Canada Post employees began a strike on November 15, disrupting mail services across the country just ahead of the holiday season. The CUPW announced the action following a year of stalled negotiations over wages, safety, and its members being replaced by technology.
The strike, which included the shutdown of some post offices and a halt to mail and parcel deliveries, has affected businesses and individuals nationwide.
The CUPW’s last major strike occurred in 2018 and lasted several weeks.
In an announcement on Sunday, Canada Post said: “In an effort to move talks forward, Canada Post earlier today presented the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) with a comprehensive framework for reaching negotiated agreements.
“The framework includes proposals to bring greater flexibility to the Corporation’s delivery model, while also demonstrating movement on other key issues.
“It is our hope that these proposals will reignite discussions and, together with the support of mediators, help the parties work toward final agreements. To facilitate talks, we will not be providing further details outside the negotiations process at this time,” the statement continued.
“We understand the impact CUPW’s national strike is having on our employees, customers and so many Canadians. Canada Post remains committed to negotiating new collective agreements that will provide the certainty everyone is looking for.”
Customers can also visit the USPS International Service Alerts page for the most up-to-date information.
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