With Canada Post employees on strike as of Friday morning, small business owners across Canada who rely on the service, especially during the busy holiday season, say they are scrambling to make alternative arrangements. are.
Sterling Slingerland, a small business owner from Oshawa, Ont., runs an online gift shop that makes and sells suncatchers, hats and stickers and commissions artwork from other artists.
Slingerland said Sterling’s Suncatcher is no longer shipping online and local customers will need to pick up their purchases for the time being.
But Slingerland said the majority of the store’s customers are Americans.
“I’m very familiar with Canada Post. That’s all I’ve ever worked with. And Canada Post is around the corner. I know the people at the post office. I also know the man who comes to the door,” he added. Small business owners.
“I love postal workers and I don’t blame them at all for going on strike because I know the cost of living is going up and they have families too.”
Slingerland is not used to using courier services like UPS or FedEx, and instead uses Canada Post. This is because Canada Post has a small business discount and you can pick it up in person. This is helpful because Mr. Slingerland has a disability.
If Canada Post’s strike becomes prolonged, Slingerland plans to coordinate with UPS or FedEx, but the prospect is daunting. “I know that UPS costs $3 or $4 more. That seems like a small amount, but it adds up quickly.”
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), which represents independent businesses across the country, on Thursday called on the federal government to use all its powers, including binding arbitration and a return-to-work bill, to end the chaos.
Labor Minister Stephen McKinnon said on Friday that the government was currently only considering resolving the issue through negotiation.
Colin Pohlman, executive vice president of the CFIB, told CBC News it was “somewhat disappointing” that the federal government is pushing ahead with negotiations rather than binding arbitration.
“We hope this issue will be resolved soon, as it can have a very harsh impact on many small and medium-sized businesses, especially at this time of year.”
The CFIB said in a statement that about 80 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses in Canada rely on Canada Post to ship goods, issue invoices and receive payments.
Colin Pohlman, executive vice president of advocacy for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said her organization asked members what their concerns were ahead of the Canada Post strike.
No other choice, says small business owner
Other prominent Canadian business leaders called on the federal government to intervene and end the Canada Post strike.
“If ever there was a time for governments to act, it’s now,” Shopify President Harvey Finkelstein wrote. in post With X.
“Canada Post will go on strike two weeks before Black Friday, hitting small businesses hard. As Canada’s leading airline, this has serious consequences. Small businesses will disproportionately bear the brunt. .”
Earlier this week, some small businesses were already preparing for the impact.
“There’s no alternative to letters, and that’s the majority of our deliveries,” Rémi Vienneau-Leclair, owner of Comic Hunter in Moncton, N.B., told CBC News.
“You’re asking people if they want to pay $20 instead of $2. It’s not really an alternative.”
Christopher Green was trying to send a package through Canada Post to help his partner, who owns a small business called Adora’s Boutique in Whitbourne, New Jersey, but when he arrived, the strike had already begun.
“As a business, it’s tough, especially during these times,” he said. “There’s a lot going on and we want to get what we order to our customers. I understand how the Post Office feels, but in this economy we have to get things going.
“We understand there are a lot of profits at stake, but it’s definitely a tough time for small businesses.”
One Toronto store owner said the strike could cost his store $60,000 a month.
“If we can’t ship product, it makes sense that some of our sales channels will be shut down,” said Don McCowan, owner of Wheels and Wings Hobbies on Danforth Avenue in Toronto’s East End. ” he said.
McCowan said he plans to arrange a backup plan with UPS. But he said opting for a new service would “eat into profits” when delivery companies charge high prices and for small volumes.
“Forty-five per cent of our business ships through Canada Post, so if we suddenly couldn’t ship that 45 per cent, we wouldn’t be able to cover our overhead.”
Teamsters Canada said Purolator members will not handle packages that are postmarked or identified as coming from Canada Post.
Spokesperson Christopher Monette said in an email prior to the strike announcement that CUPW has the full support of the Teamsters and believes good union jobs are an important pillar of Canadian society. Ta.
