DHL express temporarily shuts down operations due to the enactment of an anti-replacement labor legislation during a work stoppage
Canada's DHL Express Paralysis: Nationwide Parcel Delivery Chaos
Montreal – The Shutdown begins
Jumpstart your afternoon with a dose of unbridled news: DHL Express Canada has suddenly ceased parcel operations, plunging the nation into a logistical nightmare as of June 20, 2025. This abrupt halt affects 2,100 truck drivers and other workers and will leave countless daily deliveries in limbo.
The roots of this crisis can be traced back to an acrimonious labor dispute with the Unifor union, which intensified on Friday when a strike and company-imposed lockout led to stalemate contract negotiations concerning wages and working conditions.
The Bill C-58 blow
To add fuel to the fire, the very same day saw the effective implementation of Canadian federal Bill C-58, a piece of legislation that bars new hires from taking on the roles of federally regulated employees who are on strike or locked out[3][5]. As the legislation came into force, DHL found itself between a rock and a hard place, with continued operations through replacement workers resulting in steep financial penalties.
Ahead of the curve
In the days leading up to the shutdown, DHL attempted to stay operational through contingency measures and the employment of replacement workers. They persisted for the first dozen days of the work stoppage but began to wind down their operations earlier in the week as Bill C-58 loomed large on the horizon[2][3].
By June 17, DHL decided to stop accepting international packages bound for Canada at 9 p.m. ET, with plans to terminate all operations entirely by June 20[2][3]. It was a prelude to the nationwide standstill now plaguing postal services across Canada.
Fallout from the stalemate
Unifor president Lana Payne declares that DHL had already brought in replacement workers – a claim the courier has yet to refute. She states that this move undermined fair wages and expressed her dissatisfaction with the company's actions[4].
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu convened talks with both parties after being called upon by DHL to intervene in the escalating standoff and compel the resumption of work.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on June 20, 2025.
Insights:
- A nationwide shutdown of DHL Express Canada has ensued since June 20, 2025, as a result of an ongoing labor dispute with the Unifor union.
- The strike and lockout followed DHL's imposition of a lockout and stalled negotiations over wages and working conditions.
- The recent implementation of Canadian federal Bill C-58, which restricts the use of replacement workers during strikes or lockouts, played a critical role in forcing DHL Express Canada to halt all shipping operations.
- Parcel deliveries in Canada have been severely disrupted as a result of the strike and lockout, with DHL Express suspending all operations nationwide.
- DHL initially tried to maintain operations through contingency measures and replacement workers but ultimately succumbed to the legal constraints and ongoing labor impasse.
- The paralyzed state of DHL Express Canada, following the nationwide shutdown, has a ripple effect on various industries, including finance and transportation in Toronto, Canada, where businesses heavily rely on public transit and transportation for their daily operations.
- The halt in parcel deliveries caused by DHL's work stoppage has left numerous Canadian businesses in jeopardy, especially those that are dependent on timely deliveries from key suppliers in Canada or abroad.
- The ongoing logistical chaos resulting from the DHL Express Canada shutdown places a substantial burden on public transportation systems in cities like Toronto, as a higher volume of couriers and individuals are forced to resort to alternative methods of delivery and transportation to keep their businesses afloat.
