Canada Post strike hits Winnipeg streets, impacting Hydro paper bill deliveries

Picket lines went up at Canada Post locations after the federal government announced sweeping changes. CTV’s Harrison Shin explains.

Canada Post workers have hit the picket lines in Winnipeg as part of a countrywide strike.

On Friday, several members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) were outside the Canada Post mail processing plant in Winnipeg. They held signs, some of them reading ‘Hands off my post office’ and ‘Quit Amazon they’re trying to take our jobs.’

The CUPW issued a notice of the strike Thursday evening, saying all Canada Post members would be walking off the job. It came hours after the federal government announced door-to-door mail delivery will end for nearly all Canadian households within the next decade.

READ MORE: Canada Post union launches strike as Ottawa moves to curb door-to-door mail

Myron May is a shop steward. He said his local CUPW Winnipeg didn’t expect to be on the picket line Friday morning.

“They were going to do a review of the post office, its operations, its financial status,” he said. “But they jumped the gun and decided to announce this one day before we were supposed to receive final offer from Canada Post.”

Thursday, the government announced surprise cuts to service.

“They were pretty significant,” said Adam King, an assistant professor of labour studies at the University of Manitoba. “They were announcing an end to home delivery for the remaining 4 million or so households who receive it. Lifting the moratorium on closing rural post offices and a range of other changes.”

Soon after the strike was called. It comes after the CUPW announced carriers would stop delivering flyers on Sept. 15.

This latest strike action will impact local businesses even more according to CFIB.

“This is a service that they have come to rely on, yet they’re not surprised to see themselves back in the same situation we were in a year ago,” said Brianna Solberg, with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. “It’s extremely unfortunate.”

The job action is already having an impact locally.

The City of Winnipeg noted voter notices were delivered by mail on Sept. 18 for the by-election in the Elmwood-East Kildonan ward. Voters can still request a sealed envelop ballot online or by email

Other city services are also being impacted, including licencing for Animal Services and various assessment and taxation departments. Residents are asked to call 311 to learn how city services that normally use Canada Post will operate during the strike.

Manitoba Hydro says postal strike impacting paper bill deliveries

Manitoba Hydro says the Canada Post strike is impacting its paper bill deliveries, meaning customers need to head online to stay on top of their payments.

In a release Friday, the Crown corporation said the strike will prevent the delivery of its paper bills and customers’ payments. It added customers should not put payment cheques in the mail during the strike.

“Customers are responsible for making payments on time during a postal strike,” Hydro said in the release.

It said customers should sign up for an online account to view bills and make payments. Alternatively, customers can also make payments in person or online through their bank or credit union.

A self-service phone line is also available to provide account balance and due date, as long as customers have their 14-digit account number.

“Anyone having trouble making full payment on time can seek a payment arrangement with Manitoba Hydro,” the release reads.

To access the service, you can call 1-888-624-9376.

-with files from The Canadian Press