“Posties” on the Picket Line

Photo Illustration: Iona Sobral

7 a.m. on the picket line, winter winds tear through the streets. 

It’s -20 C° with the wind chill on Friday, Dec. 13. The sun hasn’t risen, but four postal workers are already here. A propane-fueled fire blazes in the corner. By 8 a.m., about 30 workers crowd the space, music blaring. Ennio Morricone’s electric guitar twangs through the loudspeakers, underscoring the frigid standoff between the “Posties” and the Post.

“It’s the most beautiful job on earth, but Canada Post is trying to ruin our profession,” says Catherine*, a 15-year veteran of the service. 

The strike began on Nov. 15 — their third since 2011.

Workers at a Montreal picket line say their job is getting harder. Online shopping is now the default for millions across the country, meaning postal workers have to carry heavier parcels over longer distances, leading to a marked rise in injuries across the line. This, combined with a push from management to replace union labour with part-time workers, led to a month-long strike, doomed before it began.

Thousands stood on picket lines across the country until the minute they were forced back to work on, Dec. 17, 2024, at 8 a.m. With the holiday rush looming, the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered the 55,000 employees back to work. 

The postal union and their bosses have until May 22, 2025, to negotiate a new contract. Until then, they’ll work under the conditions outlined in their previous collective bargaining agreement.

The Rover spoke to over 30 union members during the strike to understand why they took on this fight.

At a picket line in Alberta, Charlie*, frustrated and scared, describes her reality: “If I showed you my (utilities) bill from two years ago, it was 300 bucks. Same bill today is $700, $800” she said. Alberta’s United Conservative Party removed caps on utility prices. 

Charlie declared bankruptcy after leaving an abusive relationship and moving back to Edmonton from Vancouver. “Because of that, I can’t shop for a mortgage, or speak to the bank to help me through these hard times. I can’t apply for anything.” Feeling powerless, she applied for a predatory Home Equity loan from Alpine Credit.

Others face similar hardships. Sophia* and Oliver*, a couple with a daughter, lost their house last year but managed to fight the lender in court. They paid down their mortgage and kept their home but, like many Posties, rely on food banks to survive.

At a picket line in Montreal’s West End, some Posties played cornhole behind the fence while others warmed themselves by the fire.

“Posties” — a nickname shared in French and English — reflect a tight-knit culture built on love for the work. Émile*, 20 years under his belt, talks about their morale. “We’re trying to stick together in it all, we’re trying to have fun on the picket lines, and to encourage each other. Nonetheless, it’s been a month. It’s getting colder, and we’re a month in without pay. It’s certainly putting a ton of pressure, but we’re standing in solidarity.” 

Despite political disagreements — from vaccine mandates to “seizing the means of production” — the picketers remain unified, nothing pulling them apart. 

“I spent 13 years with another company, and 15 here,” Catherine said. “I know everyone on my route. I know their families. I know their dogs. I know who’s having an operation, or who needs a hand this week.” 

But she’s frustrated by misinformation online. She talked about the working conditions being unacceptable, saying, “We often have three times the weight we’re supposed to carry. Letters in our hands, packages on our backs, and we’re getting injured from it.”

On top of that, Catherine buys winter boots twice a year and shoes two or three times annually. Canada Post doesn’t help with these costs, even though carriers walk 15 to 30 km per day.

Next to her, Jeanne-Claire*, nearing retirement after 30 years on the job, smiled. “Surprisingly, morale here is going very well. Surprisingly.” She put a hard emphasis as she repeated the word again. Jeanne-Claire wants to help her friends and coworkers before she’s done. “A month on strike is hard for all of them. We don’t have a huge financial cushion, and there’s people who are starting to look for other work. I don’t think we’ll win. I don’t want to be pessimistic, but no, I don’t think it’s possible.” She whispered, hardly audible above the music on the loudspeakers. 

Twenty minutes later, Labour Minister Steve Mackinnon announced he’s “calling a timeout.” 

“Negotiation is more of a wall than a table,” Catherine said. 

Originally, a mediator was assigned to work with the union and the company. Halfway through the strike the mediator stepped down. Prior to the strike being made illegal by the government on Monday, there had been no visible effort to replace the mediator, the federal government claiming that the two parties were too far apart to be negotiated with. 

David*, an employee since July 2003, is furious. 

“They were supposed to have an impartial, neutral person to arbitrate this. The person defended the interests of the company. Now there’s not even a negotiation. They should be outsourcing (to find someone who can properly mediate),” David said.

Most workers have families to support. Senior Posties are fighting for the rookies. After 20 years, wages barely reach $60,000 before taxes. Unlike hourly or salaried pay, their earnings depend on steps taken and time required to walk routes. Each route is calculated to take 6.5 hours, with 1.5 hours for sorting mail in the morning. Faster workers earn a higher hourly rate. “I’m at the maximum salary — $30 an hour,” says Charlie. Meanwhile, the Governor General appointed Doug Ettinger as the CEO of Canada Post with a salary of $506,800 – $596,200 maxing out in 2027. 

“They can hand out millions in bonuses thanks to those on the bottom,” David said. 

There are no executive bonuses disclosed in Canada Post’s financial documents. There is much talk on the picket lines from posties that there are executive bonuses every year, with the executives receiving several million dollars in total. There has been no reporting about this online, and we have not confirmed whether there have been bonuses. Still, the Posties repeat that millions in bonuses have been handed out.

“I’m proud of what I’ve done in my life,” David said. “But I would like to make the most of my time instead of being at the whim of a company that is profiting (from my work). We’re watching the middle class become poorer and poorer. We need companies to be socially responsible, for all of us.”

*All names have been changed because the union has requested that the employees do not speak to the press.