The Canadian Stamp Dealers Association (CSDA) has issued an urgent appeal to federal leaders, Canada Post management, and the postal workers’ union, warning that the national postal strike will cause serious harm to its members and the wider Canadian economy.
In a Sept. 26 letter, CSDA president Angelo E. Komatsoulis addressed Prime Minister Mark Carney, Public Works Minister Joël Lightbound, Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu, Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger, and Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) president Jan Simpson, urging all sides to return to the bargaining table “in good faith and reach a quick, fair resolution.”
For the CSDA’s members — small businesses and dealers who rely a lot on the mail — the strike is a severe blow. “Unlike many industries, ours cannot simply shift to courier services. These are often cost-prohibitive for small businesses and impractical for shipping individual collectibles,” Komatsoulis wrote. He added that for philatelists, mail service is not just commercial but cultural, forming “a lifeline essential to the exchange of Canada’s history and heritage.”
The association pointed to the Fall 2024 postal strike, which caused significant financial losses across the hobby and beyond, with recovery taking months. The current disruption comes as stamp dealers and other businesses are already reeling from the elimination of the U.S. de minimis exemption on Aug. 29, 2025, which sharply reduced cross-border sales.
“The impact of this strike, however, extends far beyond our community. Millions of Canadians depend on reliable mail service for their businesses, their customers, and their families,” the letter stated. While recognizing both Canada Post’s financial challenges and CUPW’s job-security concerns, the CSDA emphasized that “a strike ultimately harms everyone — management, workers, and the customers who depend on the system.”
Komatsoulis said the association remains committed to supporting its members during the disruption but placed responsibility for restoring service squarely with government leaders, Canada Post, and CUPW.
“On behalf of the philatelic community and Canadian businesses at large, I urge you to prioritize compromise and resolution before irreparable harm is done,” he wrote.