“We’ve Reached Our Limit”: DHL Canada Freezes Imports Amid Widening Labor Standoff

TORONTO | June 17, 2025
By Maria Kalamatas
Category: Land Transport → Labor & Operations

Lead
After two weeks of tense silence and stalled negotiations, DHL Express Canada has decided to suspend all international import services starting Wednesday, June 19. The company says operations can no longer continue safely or efficiently under current conditions.

Body
At the heart of the disruption: a nationwide strike involving more than 2,100 employees, represented by Unifor, now entering its third week. Workers are demanding better wages, improved safety conditions, and relief from what they call “unsustainable scheduling loads.”

“We’ve done our part to keep freight moving, even under extreme pressure,” said a senior warehouse worker in Mississauga. “But we’re not machines.”

DHL’s management said the decision to halt imports was made after inbound volumes overwhelmed warehouse capacity and left shipments stranded for days. Cold storage in Toronto and Montreal is already over capacity, and delays for temperature-sensitive shipments are triggering customer complaints and contractual penalties.

Collateral Damage Across the Network

The impact isn’t limited to DHL. With Canada Post limiting overtime due to parallel labor disputes, small businesses and e-commerce sellers are seeing delays mount. Some report inventory shortages. Others have been forced to rebook with alternate couriers at double the cost.

In Vancouver, customs brokers are processing a surge in last-minute clearance requests from panicked importers trying to reroute cargo before the June 19 shutdown.

Union Holds the Line

Unifor spokesperson Marie Langlais said today that “workers want to be heard, not sidelined.” According to her, no new meeting has been scheduled, and confidence in a quick resolution is fading.

“We’ve asked for fair terms. DHL responded by escalating the crisis,” she added.

Conclusion
What started as a dispute over wages is now testing the resilience of Canada’s freight ecosystem. With each passing hour, more shipments pile up—and the cost of inaction climbs.

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