Canada Post workers are back on the job after a gruelling four-week strike that halted deliveries across the county, but it could take time before operations are back to normal.

Like many businesses across Canada, Knifewear in Calgary has had to pivot when Canada Post workers went on strike a month ago. And it’ll need to continue with plan B to get packages delivered, even as postal employees return. 

“Obviously they’ve got a massive backlog, and we have no idea when things are going to arrive,” said Nathan Gareau, Knifewear brand communications lead.

“For that reason, we’re continuing to ship exclusively with UPS, Purolator and DHL.”

“It’s not like plugging a refrigerator back in. We have 21 plants, about 500 depots across the country, thousands of employees. So, it’s going to take some time,” said John Hamilton, a Canada Post spokesperson.

Over the weekend, the Canada Industrial Relations Board determined negotiations between the crown corporation and the union were in a stalemate and ordered employees back to work under their existing contracts.

Those contracts have been extended until May to give both sides more time to talk.

Canada Post has agreed with the union to implement a five per cent wage increase retroactively to the day after the collective agreements expired.

Mark Lubinski, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Toronto Local, is upset that the federal government got involved and plans to appeal the ruling.

“What the government has done to us is disgusting. And they toyed us along for four weeks. They lied to us and that, saying they want a good faith bargaining, and that was never their intent,” said Lubinski.

Hamilton says they negotiated for over a year.

“Our focus is on ensuring that we can welcome employees back tomorrow and in a safe and orderly fashion and begin to restart the postal system,” he said.

The strike created a backlog for Canadians waiting for passports with many offices across the country seeing very long line ups.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says as of Dec. 9, approximately 215,000 passports have been processed, printed and are ready to be mailed, but they are being securely held by Service Canada. Those passports would not be delivered until the strike ended.

In a statement, ESDC said, “Service Canada is currently working with Canada Post on a plan for the resumption of mail service for passport. More information will be communicated to Canadians once available.”

Furthermore, Service Canada is shipping passports currently being held at print centres to one of the select Service Canada locations with pickup services nearest to the client’s home address. Once a client’s passport has arrived at the Service Canada location close to their residence, clients are being contacted to advise when their passport will be available for pickup.

“By proactively shipping passports to Service Canada Centres, it is expected that lineups and wait times at in-person service locations will be reduced, and telephone call centre wait times will decrease,” ESDC wrote.

The strike also created a backlog for mail and package deliveries.

Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says he anticipates Canada Post will strike again.

“We have a system that is effectively useless to prevent major strikes and lockouts in critical infrastructure points across the country.”