With Canada Post strike underway, small business owners scramble to make

With Canada Post workers on strike as of Friday morning, small business owners across Canada who rely on the service — especially during the busy holiday season — say they’re scrambling to make alternative arrangements.

Sterling Slingerland, a small business owner in Oshawa, Ont., runs an online gift shop that makes and sells suncatchers, hats and stickers, and commissions artwork from other artists.

Slingerland said Sterling’s Suncatchers has ended online shipping and that, for the time being, local customers will have to pick up their purchases.

But the majority of the shop’s clientele is in the U.S., Slingerland said.

“I’m so used to Canada Post. That’s all I’ve ever worked with. And they’re right around the corner. I know the people at the mail office. I know the guy that comes to the door,” added the small business owner.

“I love our postal workers and I don’t blame them for going on strike at all because I know the cost of living is going up, and they have families, too.”

Slingerland isn’t used to working with courier services like UPS or FedEx, instead using Canada Post because they offer small business discounts — and because they do direct pick-up, which is helpful because Slingerland has a disability.

Slingerland will make an arrangement with UPS or FedEx if the Canada Post strike is long-term, but the prospect of that is nerve-wracking. “I know that UPS is $3 or $4 more, which it sounds like a small amount, but it adds up quickly.”

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), which represents independent businesses across the country, called on the federal government Thursday to use all its powers — including binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation — to end the disruption.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said on Friday that the government is currently only looking to resolve the matter through negotiation.

Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president of CFIB, told CBC News it’s “somewhat disappointing” that the federal government is pushing for negotiation rather than binding arbitration.

“We’re hoping that there can be some resolution given to this issue sooner rather than later, because the impacts can be quite tough on a lot of small businesses, especially at this time of year.”

The CFIB said in its statement that about 80 per cent of small businesses in Canada rely on Canada Post for shipping goods or for invoicing or receiving payments.