UPDATE: Canadian Mail Delivery to Resume

Canada Post to Resume Operations Monday (June 27, 2011)

Canada Post has initiated the process to resume operations following the passage of back to work legislation (Bill C-6, An Act to provide for the resumption and continuation of postal services). In accordance with the Act, employees will begin to report to work for their regularly scheduled shifts on Monday June 27 and on Tuesday June 28.

Canadian consumers and businesses can expect to start receiving mail on Tuesday, June 28. Post offices that were closed will start to reopen on Tuesday and resume regular operations. All mailboxes will be unsealed starting on Monday and ready to receive mail as soon as possible.

With unprocessed mail in the system and accumulated mail received from other countries that has not yet entered the system, it will take some time to stabilize operations and to return to normal delivery standards. Any mail in the system at the time of the work disruption has been secured for processing and delivery.

Canada Post will be working with large volume mailers within 24 hours after the passage of legislation to support an orderly and effective induction process. Mail pickup from commercial customers will resume on Tuesday June 28.

Canadian Mail Status in the U.S.

On June 17 the United States Postal Service suspended Canadian mail acceptance. All Canadian mail held at The Mailing Department facility has been processed and will be delivered to the USPS on June 28th when they resume accepting mail for Canada. Mail held in the USPS network since the work stoppage began is being released and transported into Canada.

Due to the large volumes of mail held by countries, customers may experience slightly longer transit times. USPS is working closely with the Canadian Postal Service to hold delays to a minimum.

UPDATE: Canada Post/CUPW Strike Continues

Negotiations Between Canada Post And CUPW Break Off

Despite intense negotiations over the past 72 hours, Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have not been able to reach an agreement.

Talks between the two have now broken off.

Every effort has been made to reach a negotiated settlement that is in the best interests of employees, customers and the company.

The company and union still remain far apart on several issues.

For the latest details about the strikes, please visit the Canadian Post or the CUPW websites.

The United States Postal Service did suspend the acceptance of Canadian-bound mail on June 18th. All Canadian mail received in our facility is still being processed so as soon as the USPS starts accepting mail again, it will be inducted into the International Gateway.

UPDATE: Canadian Postal Strike Situation Escalates

A lockout has been called by Canada Post. This means all mail delivery has  been halted (except some rural deliveries as mentioned in our previous blog post).

What this Means To Customers

Mail Deposit and Delivery

• All mail processing plants and letter carrier depots are closed and all facilities have been secured. No new mail will be accepted. Large volume mailers cannot deposit or receive mail.
• Mail Delivery is suspended to all addresses served by letter carriers represented by the CUPW (Urban). Some mail delivery will continue over the first few days of the lockout to clear mail remaining in the system in suburban and rural areas where delivery employees are represented by a different bargaining unit.
• Street Letter Boxes, mail slots on Community Mail Boxes, and other Canada Post mail-receiving equipment have been cleared and sealed to prevent mail from being deposited.
• Through a previous agreement, Canada Post and CUPW will ensure that a number of socio-economic cheques will be delivered on June 20. Please visit canadapost.ca/cheques for more information.

Post Offices

• All post offices staffed by CUPW members are closed.
• Post Offices located in suburban and rural areas staffed by members of the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants (CPAA) continue to be open but cannot accept new mail.
• Authorized Dealer Post Offices are also open but cannot accept new mail. Some Dealer Post Offices may be operating at reduced hours.
• Post Offices that remain open offer limited products such as MoneyGram and Money Orders but no new mail will be accepted. Many open Post Offices will also have parcels and other mail items delivered prior to the lockout available for customers to pick up.

There are more details about this lockout on the Canada Post website.

Canada Post states that the financial impact of the rotating strikes has cost the company close to $100 million over the 12 days. In addition, they also claim that several incidents have raised concerns about the ability to move the mail while keeping employees and customers safe.

Canada Post and CUPW remain far apart on several issues and Canada Post believes that a lockout is the best way to bring a timely resolution to the impasse.

Plans are in place to secure the mail that is currently in the system and to deliver the mail in a timely manner once operations resume.

The United States Postal Service will still allow Canada mail to be submitted, but will hold it until service is resumed. If you have any questions, please contact your TMD representative.

UPDATE: Canadian Postal Strike Continues

CUPW Locals in GTA, Montreal begin 24-hour strikes

The Toronto, Scarborough and Montreal Canadian Union of Postal Workers locals began a 24-hour strike late last night. Multiple sites in and around these areas are reporting picketing activities. Canada Post’s largest mail processing facilities (Toronto’s South Central Mail Processing Plant, Mississauga’s Gateway Plant and Montreal’s Léo-Blanchette Plant) are reported closed and are not accepting or delivering mail today.

Despite Canada Post’s efforts to mitigate the effects of this disruption by re-directing mail to other locations, 60% of the country’s mail is routed through these locations. The combined impact of strikes in these areas is expected to result in major mail disruptions nationally on Tuesday, likely carrying over into Wednesday.

Adjusted delivery schedule today

Due to low volumes as a result of the union’s strike action, Canada Post has moved to a three-day delivery schedule.

• Letters and Admail will be delivered three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) in mostly urban areas where delivery is performed by letter carriers.
• Most small packages and documents will also be delivered three days a week. Every effort will be made to continue to deliver priority items five days a week.

Many product and service offerings will not be affected by these changes, including:

• Delivery of mail to rural mailboxes and community mailboxes will continue five days a week where service is provided by Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMCs) who operate under a separate collective agreement than urban employees.
• Post Office operating hours and access to post office boxes will remain unchanged.
• Pick-ups from qualified customers and mail collection at street letter boxes on major streets will continue as usual.
• Delivery of all parcels will continue as usual.

Uncertainty Must End For Customers

Uncertainty caused by eight months of labour negotiations and 11 days of strike activities by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is damaging the postal system.

The union’s offer to “suspend” rotating strikes does not provide any certainty to customers.

CUPW continues to have over 50 demands on the table and wants to turn back the clock on modernizing equipment and processes.

Canada Post has made concessions during this round of bargaining, including:

• Moved from offering a Defined Contribution pension plan for new hires and instead agreed to maintain a fully indexed Defined Benefit pension plan.
• Dropped a proposal to eliminate a seventh week of vacation.
• Agreed to maintain the current ratio of full-time employees across the network.

Canada Post believes that the best result from this round of bargaining would be a negotiated settlement.

Damage being done to the postal system by the union’s ongoing strike activities is making it difficult for Canada Post to maintain all of their previously offered compromises.

For more information about the strikes or the latest news, visit the Canadian Post or the CUPW websites.

UPDATE: Canadian Postal Workers Union Begins Rotating 24-Hour Strikes

Canadian postal workers went on strike Thursday night after talks with the government-owned postal agency failed to yield an agreement, in the first job action by the union in more than 13 years.

About 1,500 workers in Winnipeg, Manitoba began a 24-hour strike at midnight Eastern Time as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers began what they said will be rolling strikes in cities across Canada. The job action shifted to Hamilton, Ontario on Friday. 24-hour strike in Montreal began Monday. It is currently business as usual everywhere else in the Canada Post network.

For more information about the rolling strikes or the latest news, visit the Canadian Post or the CUPW websites.

Holiday Shipping Dates for Military Addresses

As the holidays grow closer, it’s time to think ahead for shipping packages to loved ones. The USPS recently released the recommended mailing dates for packages being sent to military destinations.

Shipping Out the Holidays to Military Heroes

Recommended Mailing Dates for APO/FPO Destinations

WASHINGTON — Ensuring care packages arrive in time for the holiday season is a priority for friends and family members of military personnel serving around the world. To help get packages on their way, the U.S. Postal Service offers a discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.

The recommended mailing date for the most economical postage to overseas military destinations, including Iraq and Afghanistan, is Nov. 12.

Mail sent to overseas military addresses is charged only domestic mail prices. The domestic mail price for the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box is $14.50, but for packages to APO/FPO addresses overseas the price is reduced to $12.50. Additional discounts are available for customers printing their Priority Mail postage labels online at Click-N-Ship.

Environmentally friendly Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available at no cost at any Post Office, or can be ordered online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship.

The Postal Service continues to show support to those serving in the armed forces by offering free Military Care Kits, designed specifically for military families sending packages overseas. The mailing kits can be ordered by phone by calling 1-800-610-8734 and asking for the Military Care Kit. Each kit includes two “America Supports You” large Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, four medium-sized Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, six Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and six customs forms with envelopes.

For online ordering of the large Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate boxes featuring the “America Supports You” logo and information about mailing letters and packages to military destinations, go to Supporting Our Troops.

“Shipping holiday packages early helps ensure that they arrive in time for the holidays,” said Pranab Shah, vice president and managing director, Global Business. “They are a great morale boost for those men and women serving their country in places far from home.”

To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by Dec. 25 to military APO/FPO addresses overseas, the Postal Service recommends that mail for service members be sent no later than the mailing dates listed below. Mail addressed to military Post Offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms. To see an online table of updated APO and FPO addresses and mailing restrictions by individual APO/FPO ZIP Codes, click here, select “Pull-Out Information” and click on “Other Information.”

MILITARY MAILING DEADLINES

Click on the image above for a bigger view.
This information is supplied as a courtesy and is not guaranteed and late deliveries are not the responsibility of The Mailing Department. If you have questions about these delivery dates, please speak directly with the USPS who provided this information to us.

USPS Rate Change – Monday, May 12, 2008

Okay, so it’s that time of year again…postage rates are going up again. Actually, according to the US Postal Service, we can expect a slight pricing change each year around this time. But before you get up in arms, look at it from this perspective…small incremental increases are better than a big whopping one out of the blue! And, there are ways to beat the postage monster.

Forever Stamp

So the Forever Stamp is a small way to save money, but it’s still a good way to pinch a penny! The Forever Stamp is a stamp that is nondenominated (doesn’t have a postage amount printed on it) and is used to pay for a single piece, one ounce letter. Right now, a Forever Stamp will cost you 41 cents. But on May 12th, that same stamp will cost 42 cents. So, if you know you’re going to be sending out a big mailing this summer or fall (ie: big anniversary bash, a lot of Christmas cards, etc.), then consider buying your stamps now…and you’ll save a penny a piece!

Commercial Mail vs Retail Mail

Retail Mail is what you use when you put a full rate stamp on your mailer. Commercial Mail is used when you have a large amount of mail to send that is all the same size and weight. There are special requirements for using Commercial Mail, but because we are sharing the work with the post office, they provide postage discounts. These discounts are available for domestic and international mail.

If you have a close deadline and need your domestic mailer delivered quick, First-Class Presort is the advised class. A minimum of 500 quantity is required. If your deadline is a little more lax or non-existent, then Standard Presort will give you a better bang for your buck and the minimum is only 200 quantity.

If you’re mailing internationally, there are options for commercial rates too. And with the increase this May (first international increase in many years), this is an option not to be missed! International Priority Airmail (IPA) and International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) have different requirements than domestic mail in that the amount of mail eligible for discounts is based on weight and not the number of pieces. Also, the new postage rates for international mail will also now include requirements on shape rather than just weight (like domestic retail mail does now). However, IPA & ISAL will continue to be based solely on weight.

PC Postage

Thinking of sending a Priority Mail Package? Don’t go to the post office – use Click & Ship from your home or office! Beginning May 12th, you will receive a discount on shipping services if you buy your postage online. For more information, visit the USPS website.

To learn more about all of the new prices coming on May 12, 2008, visit the USPS website: http://www.usps.com/prices/welcome.htm