ACOC Letter to MP Lewis re Canada Post Strike

December 3, 2024

Mr. Chris Lewis
Member of Parliament for Essex
House of Commons Ottawa ON K1A 0A6

Via electronic mail: chris.lewis@parl.gc.ca

Re: Strike at Canada Post

Mr. Lewis:

On behalf of the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce, I am writing to urge you to immediately intervene and do everything necessary to end the strike that has now shut down operations at Canada Post for more than two weeks.

Last year, Canada Post delivered almost six and a half billion pieces of mail, parcels, and messages, to more than 17 million addresses across the country, and as a result, this work stoppage has an impact on millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on the postal service every day.

This is yet another blow to our supply chains, with a disproportionate impact on entrepreneurs and small businesses engaged in e-commerce, many of whom are counting on doing a considerable amount of business during the holiday season.

Families in Amherstburg have faced a high cost of living that has only been exacerbated by the numerous supply chain disruptions across Canada in recent years due to wildfires, floods, blockades, and the COVID-19 pandemic. There were strikes last year across the ports in British Columbia and the St. Lawrence Seaway, and as you know all too well, labour disputes over the past few months that paralyzed Canada’s rail network and shut down our largest East and West coast ports. Added to the lack of predictability resulting from disputes with Canada’s border agents, as well as Air Canada’s cargo network, there has simply been no predictable movement of goods or stability in prices.

We are respectfully asking that you put the families and businesses in our community first by intervening to get this dispute resolved, as we cannot continue to pay the price of inaction.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Dan Gemus

President

Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce