With a possible Canada Post strike on the horizon, small businesses in the nation’s capital are worried about another supply chain disruption that could hurt their bottom lines.

On Tuesday, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) said in a press release that its board of directors would give the required 72 hours’ notice to its rural and urban letter carrier bargaining units. The union also noted that its workers received notice from Canada Post informing them that postal workers would be locked out Friday morning if agreements could not be reached.

For Ottawa businesses, it’s yet another headache before the holiday shopping season.

Jason Tasse, president of Lee Valley Tools, worries the potential strike could make customers worry their packages won’t arrive on time. (Sarah Bridge/CBC)

Jason Tasse, president of Lee Valley Tools, an Ottawa-based home and garden chain with 18 stores across Canada, said a postal strike could prevent the chain’s physical catalog from arriving in boxes to people’s letters.

Tasse also worries the strike could cause consumers to be less committed to their purchases, even though the company said it uses alternative carriers like UPS and FedEx.

“Canada Post disruption is imminent, (consumers) are losing confidence in ordering packages, so there will be a market downturn in response to that, despite the fact that companies will have other carriers,” he said. -he declared.

“It’s a level of complication that no one needs today. And unfortunately, in these kinds of situations, no one wins,” Tasse said.

The potential postal worker strike could also impact local small businesses. Ian Boyd, who co-owns Compact Music with his brother, said they send most of their records via the Chit Chats shipping service. But when asked Tuesday, he said two of the 11 packages shipped that day were sent by Canada Post.

“We don’t want to lose these two packages because every sale is important when you’re a little guy like my brother and I,” he said.

“Still the cheapest transportation service small businesses can use”

Jasmin Guénette is vice-president of national affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. (Proposed by Jasmin Guénette)

While some businesses may turn to alternative carriers, Jasmin Guénette, vice-president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said it’s not an option everyone can choose.

“Canada Post remains the cheapest carrier service that small businesses can use,” said Mr. Guénette.

“We need the (Canada Post) service to be fully operational at all times, especially as we approach the holiday season. And many small businesses have already been affected by the work stoppages at Colombia’s ports -British and at the port of Montreal,” he said. added.

The potential Canada Post strike comes after labor disputes erupted at major ports in Quebec and British Columbia.

On Sunday, the union representing some 1,200 longshoremen at the Port of Montreal rejected an agreement with its employers’ association, causing a lockout at the facility. But on Tuesday, Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon referred the disputes to binding arbitration.

If a postal strike were to occur, Tasse said he hopes the potential economic impact will put pressure on both sides to return to the bargaining table.

“We really hope they can resolve these issues, but with it being peak season there will be a lot of pressure for a resolution and we hope they can achieve that,” he said.