Announced Friday, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ (CUPW) mail carriers stopped delivering unaddressed mail as of Sept. 15. The CUPW advised its 55,000 workers will switch their labour action from an overtime ban to a flyer ban, meaning addressed mail will still be delivered to rural group boxes, but commercial flyers and products sent under the Neighbourhood Mail agreement, which includes community newspapers, will not.

This is being done in an effort to bring Canada Post back to the bargaining table. In August, CUPW members turned down Canada Post’s latest contract offer, which included a wage hike of 13 per cent over four years and some restructuring to include part-time workers. Some 69.4 per cent of rural mail carriers who voted were against the deal.

The potential for ongoing strike actions comes at a critical moment for the postal system. Since 2018, the corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024. In early 2025, the Government of Canada announced repayable funding of up to $1 billion for Canada Post to prevent insolvency.

In 2023, Canada Post changed community newspaper distribution under their ‘consumers’ choice’ policy, allowing users to make the request to stop receiving unaddressed advertising mail – flyers, menus, coupons, catalogues, etc. Community newspapers, mailings from governments, band offices and materials related to elections had been exempt and delivered up to that point.

This reclassification was done without prior consultation with Canada’s news industry. As newspapers with inserts was the only such designation change under the consumers’ choice policy, it has been viewed by journalism agencies as an effort by the Crown corporation to hamstring publishers and monopolize the flyer business.

A Canada Post strike will have no impact on paid subscriptions or on distribution of The Clipper in Beausejour, Oakbank, Dugald, Lac du Bonnet, Pinawa, Powerview-Pine Falls, Whitemouth and Reynolds.

Those who normally receive the community newspaper via Canada Post in the RM of Brokenhead can pick it up at the Clipper Publishing office located 27 Third St. S in Beausejour, at one of our business partners in town or at outdoor boxes at Sherwood Forest Grocery, Garson Grocery and beside the Tyndall Curling Club. Springfield residents in Anola, Cooks Creek and Birds Hill can pick up The Clipper at numerous stores and locations in Oakbank, at Garven Grocery and at newspaper box locations at the intersections of Garven and PR 207, Pineridge and Hillside Roads and Hwy 15 and PR 207 as well as Lake Trail Convenience in Anola, the Dugald Store and several businesses at Deacons Corner.

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