New Brunswick·UpdatedCanada Post employees across Canada walked off the job Thursday for a second time in less than a year, and a union representative in Moncton says picketing will continue this weekend. Here’s how some business owners are taking the news.Union rep for Moncton says strike action, picketing will continue this weekendKatelin Belliveau · CBC News · Posted: Sep 26, 2025 3:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes agoIt’s the second time in less than a year that local business owner Marcia Poirier has been facing uncertainty at her Moncton business due to a postal strike. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)Even though Canada Post workers have only just walked off the job, some New Brunswick businesses are already pondering how it will affect their bottom line.”I’m at a loss for words,” said Marcia Poirier, who owns a jewelry shop in Moncton. “Honestly, I hope it’s quick.”Canada Post employees across the country went on strike Thursday, hours after the federal government announced it would allow the Crown corporation to make major changes to its operations to cut costs.They include stopping at-home mail delivery, shifting an estimated 4 million residential addresses to community mailboxes. There are also plans to close nearly 4,000 smaller post offices.Poirier makes jewelry out of seashells, and said about 50 per cent of her production is shipped using Canada Post.”I shipped off packages yesterday, so will the customers get their packages?” she wondered. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to them but I’m kind of worried.”Poirier and other business owners are dealing with a standstill in service for the second time in less than a year, after a Canada Post strike and lockout plagued many pre-holiday orders last November and December.”The sales…were dead in the water,” Poirier said.The strike also comes at a time when businesses that ship to the United States are having to pay added tariffs before they can even send products over the border.Speaking about a recent order she shipped, Poirier said: “The price was for $175 and I had to pay a $70 tariff before I was able to send out a package. That’s kind of criminal.”To now lose my most affordable, reliable way to ship product — I really don’t want to talk about it.”Sarah Lady Rose, who owns a small business in Moncton, said she switched to a different courier last November when Canada Post service was not available. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)Sarah Lady Rose owns Mystic Moons Books and Brews in Moncton and ships books, clothing, candles and other witchware all over Canada and around the world.Her business suffered during the 2024 postal strike, and she has since switched to another service. I can’t have any hiccups when it comes to business.— Sarah Lady Rose, business owner in Moncton”People who were putting in their Christmas orders couldn’t place them,” she said. “I can’t have any hiccups when it comes to business.”She did not name the company she uses but she said it offers more competitive pricing and faster shipping.”With what has been going on with Canada Post, with the start and stop, and start and stop, it was very detrimental to my business.”Moncton union rep says pickets to continue on weekendAfter a meeting of Atlantic local presidents of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Thursday afternoon, Line Doucet, who represents Moncton, said picketing will continue over the weekend all over the province.Picketing began Friday morning in Moncton after Thursday’s announcement by the federal government.Line Doucet is president of the Moncton local for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which represents tens of thousands of Canada Post employees across the country. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)”Cutting services is not what’s going to help their finances,” Doucet said of Canada Post’s top managers. “They need to add services.”Ottawa also announced it would let Canada Post out of the requirement to deliver mail to each destination five days a week, and would allow stamp prices to be raised more often, using a streamlined process.”In December they forced us back to work, saying that the public needed us, then yesterday they make announcements saying that the public doesn’t need us every day,” Doucet said, adding that the union has also been asking for more full-time employment opportunities. We are disappointed that, in response to the government’s reforms, the union chose to launch a national strike.— Canada Post statementCanada Post did not respond to a CBC News request for comment by the time this story was published.However, the Crown corporation sent out a national statement late Friday afternoon, saying it is taking another look at the offers it has made to workers in light of the federal government move. “We remain committed to reaching negotiated agreements with CUPW that are affordable, support our people and help build a sustainable future for the company. We have confirmed with CUPW that we are working diligently and will present these new offers as soon as possible,” the statement said in part.”CUPW’s proposals would add billions in additional costs,” it went on. “We are disappointed that, in response to the government’s reforms, the union chose to launch a national strike. This will further deteriorate Canada Post’s financial situation.”Employees plan to picket over the weekend at the Canada Post distribution centre in Dieppe, Doucet said, continuing “as long as the strike goes on.”Doucet said union representatives plan to meet again on Monday over Zoom to discuss next steps.”It’s in Canada Post’s hands to negotiate in good faith, and maybe we will stop our actions,” she said.ABOUT THE AUTHORKatelin Belliveau is a CBC reporter based in Moncton. With files from Rhythm Rathi and Pierre Fournier
N.B. business owner ‘at a loss for words’ over 2nd Canada Post strike in less than a year
