Weekend Mail Delivery in Canada: A Solution to Backlogs or a Labour Nightmare?

Image Credit, Clay LeConey

Canada Post has long operated on a delivery schedule that many Canadians have come to rely on, offering regular mail service Monday through Friday. However, with the recent strike stretching over a month and creating a significant backlog of undelivered mail, questions are surfacing about whether Canada Post should consider adopting a more American-style delivery policy. The United States Postal Service (USPS), for instance, delivers mail Monday through Saturday, with Sunday delivery limited to Priority Mail Express and Amazon packages. This extended service model is mirrored in several other countries, such as Japan, which delivers seven days a week, and the United Kingdom, where weekend parcel deliveries have become standard practice.

The primary advantage of expanding delivery days is clear: faster service and quicker clearance of backlogs. With e-commerce on the rise and time-sensitive mail becoming increasingly common, this approach could offer a significant boost to customer satisfaction. Moreover, adopting an extended delivery schedule might make Canada Post more competitive with private couriers, many of whom already operate on weekends.

However, implementing such a policy is far from straightforward. Canadian unions, particularly the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), are likely to push back vehemently against any proposal that increases workloads without proportionate adjustments to wages, benefits, and working conditions. This debate would almost certainly evolve into a wage issue, with negotiations required to address fair compensation for extended hours.

The financial feasibility of the plan is another hurdle. Canada Post has struggled with profitability in recent years, partly due to declining mail volumes and rising operational costs. Extending delivery days would require additional staff, vehicles, and infrastructure investments, potentially offsetting any gains in customer satisfaction or efficiency. Moreover, the cultural expectation in Canada is for weekends to serve as a reprieve from work, a factor that may not be as pronounced in other countries with seven-day delivery schedules.

Public sentiment could also play a role in shaping the debate. While some Canadians might welcome more frequent deliveries, others may see it as an unnecessary disruption, particularly if it leads to increased postal rates to cover additional costs.

Ultimately, whether Canada Post should adopt a more American-style delivery policy hinges on balancing operational needs, union negotiations, and public expectations. While it might offer a solution to the current backlog and position Canada Post as a more modern and competitive service provider, the challenges—both financial and political—are substantial. Any move in this direction would require careful planning, transparent communication, and likely a significant overhaul of existing labor agreements.