Calgary businesses react to Canada Post strike

Calgary businesses are reacting to the Canada Post strike, voicing their opinions and frustrations about how the work stoppage affects their bottom line.

Roughly 55,000 Canada Post workers across the country went on strike late Thursday night. A year of bargaining between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post has resulted in little progress.

The strike comes ahead of a very busy season for Canada Post, with Black Friday later this month and the holiday season on the horizon. During the strike, mail and parcels won't be processed or delivered, and some post offices will be closed. Service guarantees will also be affected for items already in the postal network.

Both sides of the strike have agreed to continue delivering benefit cheques, like pensions, seniors and child benefits, and old age security, during the strike.

Ceramicist Mariko Paterson is one Calgary business owner who will be affected by the strike. She runs Forage Studios, which often ships its work to customers.

Paterson said she hopes the strike doesn't last too long. She is supportive of the striking workers and expects her customers will be reasonable about delays caused by the strike.

"I'm okay absorbing as much as I can on the customers' behalf," Paterson said.

But not all businesses are as patient for the strike to end.

Jennifer Leblond, owner and founder of Steeling Home, said her business offers free shipping on orders over a certain amount and relies on Canada Post to ship goods to customers in remote communities. Without the postal service, she said her business will have to absorb the cost of using another courier. 

"We'll be taking that on the nose," she said.

"Canada Post isn't doing themselves any favours. They're not garnering a lot of support from me, and from the public that use them."

Leblond said the timing of the strike couldn't be worse, with the holiday season starting to ramp up.

"We're going to pay the price.... So it feels unfair and frankly, at this point, it's disappointing," she said.

Connor Curran, co-founder and CEO of Local Laundry, said the Canada Post strike is making him feel anxious about the future of his business.