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Certain social benefits cheques will be delivered this week, even while Canada Post ramps up its services after the end of the strike.
The striking Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) employees are returning to work on Tuesday, Dec. 17, after a ruling from the federal labour relations board that the negotiating parties are at an impasse. The nationwide Canada Post strike began on Nov. 15.
Mail will begin moving again on Tuesday as Canada Post employees return to work for the first time in more than a month after the federal government pushed to end the stoppage.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the 55,000 picketing employees back to work within days if the tribunal determines a deal isn’t doable before the end of the year.
Canada Post said Sunday night that after two days of hearings over the weekend, an impasse was declared by the board.
It says union members have been ordered back to work under their existing contracts, which have been extended until May to allow the bargaining process to resume.
In the meantime, Canada Post says it has agreed with the union to implement a 5% wage increase, retroactive to the day after the collective agreements expired.
Business groups had been calling on the government to intervene as companies and individuals scrambled to find alternative modes of delivery with the holiday shopping season in full swing.
—The Canadian Press
Since the start of the strike, Canada Post hasn’t processed or delivered any mail or parcels, causing ongoing disruptions for the public and businesses during the busy holiday season. There has been one ray of light for Canadians waiting for their mail: certain social benefit cheques, were still being delivered, as announced in November.
“Under the agreement, CUPW has committed to provide enough volunteers to deliver the cheques,” Jon Hamilton, vice-president, strategic communications and stakeholder engagement at Canada Post, tells MoneySense. “Participating federal government programs include Canada Child Benefit (CCB), Old Age Security (OAS), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Provincial cheques for December include those from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Socio-economic cheques for the month of December will be delivered on December 18 and 19.” (Editors’ note: The CRA has noted that CCB cheques will be delayed until Friday, Dec. 20.)
You may have noticed that some post offices and Canada Post retail stores are open, though not accepting mail or parcels (except for returns). Employees there aren’t members of CUPW—they belong to other unions or are employed by a franchise.
In anticipation of delays due to the postal strike, Service Canada started issuing pension cheques earlier than usual in November.
The federal government also encourages Canadians to set up an online My Service Canada Account. Through that account, you can arrange for any of your benefits to be directly deposited to your bank account. The account also enables users to access services related to social insurance numbers (SINs), the Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP), government pensions and more.
If you owe money or need to pay a tax installment to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), you can avoid interest and penalties by making payments electronically, either through online banking or a one-time payment via CRA online services.
Unfortunately, other government cheques and cards were not being delivered during the labour disruption, including passports, driver’s licenses, health cards, and federal and provincial tax refunds and rebates. Employment insurance (EI) cheques are only being delivered to those in “dire need,” according to Employment and Social Development Canada.
Check with your provincial or territorial government regarding other benefits and services. For example, in Ontario, Service Ontario did not send out cheques for Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD). To receive these payments without delay, if you’re part of these programs, you can contact an Ontario Social Assistance Office to arrange for direct deposit to your bank account.
Service Ontario also paused sending out birth, death and marriage certificates; parking permits; cancer screening letters; or Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) reimbursement cheques. If you applied for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program, there may be delays with your application process.
According to Service Canada, 97% of CPP clients, 97.9% of OAS clients, 96.6% of EI clients and 97.9% of Canada Student Financial Assistance Program clients are registered for direct deposit.
If you have young kids, they might be worried about their letters reaching the North Pole on time. For over 40 years, Canada Post volunteers have delivered and responded to children’s letters to Santa—up to 1.5 million per year.
This year’s deadline to send a note to Santa was Dec. 6, but Canada Post has removed the date from its website. All letters will get to the North Pole when normal operations resume, it has said.
In the meantime, some communities are collecting kids’ letters and organizing replies. And, in a show of holiday spirit, many Canada Post workers are accepting letters at their picket lines, including workers in Windsor, Ont., Winnipeg and B.C.’s Okanagan region. Don’t forget to include Santa’s postal code: H0H 0H0.
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All letters will get to the North Pole when normal operations resume? What is this world coming to?
Until now Canada Post and worker union only consider the benefits belong to themselves .
Nobody care customer and civic benefits .
Only this trike ending , Canada post will suffer huge penalty and class action lawsuit due to delivery delay .
Canada post is belong to government department to service public .
*****If these government’s organization, as army , teacher , and public service departments have right to strike ?
Basely Canada Post strike is illegal because their have the right to strike !
Where is the prime minister and labour minister ?
I’m waiting on my health card.How about those?
Let’s all work together and get our post women , and post men back to work . My prayers and love go out them hard working women and men , we all miss they’re friendly smile and kind words . Please settle your differences and let them get back to work . Thankyou And Merry Christmas
What about child support cheque for children this is a sad
Do u guys have any idea what u are doing to all the kids out there who are not getting their packages foe Christmas. Including mine. On low income and can barley live but still made sure I had some stuff for them. And now because of this. I may not get my packages like many other Parents and Kids. This is not rite. Get your shit together. But I’m sure u guys with children will have their stuff. Pretty freaking sad. U bunch of Grinches.
I am waiting for almost $800.00 in Government Rebate Cheques, GST, CARBON CLIMATE REBATE and this money is what I’m hoping to use for Christmas shopping, are these Cheques going to reach me in Ottawa Ontario, apparently they were to be sent to the mail room on the Government Building, will they get mailed out. How can a Postal worker know a GST cheque from a Child Tax Credit Cheque, they all look exactly the same. There are no codes on the outside of the envelope, sooooooo how can they tell one from the other? I guess time will tell, I hope and pray that everything goes smoothly for all waiting for their Government mail, as I am, Merry Christmas Everyone, Love our Postal worker’s, they do work hard and deserve what they’re asking for. I love you all.
Why aren’t people receiving government cheques using direct deposit to their banks. I am old and have done it for many, many, years. As far as Christmas cards, give them personally or send via email or facebook or other social networks. They always arrive on time.
Unions were formed with good intent. Let the bargaining resume.