More than 55,000 workers walked off the job on Friday, according to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). Some post offices will be closed, while mail and parcels won’t be delivered for the duration of the national strike, which comes exactly one year after the two sides began bargaining. (The Logic)

Talking point: CUPW said the strike was a last resort, following Canada Post’s refusal to budge on fair wages and safe working conditions, among other issues. The union rejected Canada Post’s late-October offer of a nearly 12 per cent salary increase over four years, claiming the employer wants to “gut” collective agreements with postal workers. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said nearly 80 per cent of its members use the postal service. It has called on the government to use binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation should negotiations continue to be unsuccessful, a sentiment shared by Shopify president Harley Finkelstein. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke further lamented the move, calling it a “bad-faith move by the union that discriminates against small businesses.”