The union that represents mail carriers at Canada Post warns Canadians that parcel and letter delivery will be delayed just ahead of the Crown Corporation's busiest time of the year.
Canada Post had planned to lock out workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers at 8 a.m. Friday.
The union ordered its members to set up a picket line just after midnight.
"[The] postal system will shut down during a national strike, mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered," said the union in a release.
"Customers will experience delays due to the strike activity," it continued. "Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike, and some post offices will be closed. Service guarantees will be impacted for items already in the postal network. No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over."
The two sides have been trying to reach a tentative deal for almost a year but remain far apart on a list of issues including pay, benefits, and job protections.