From passport applications to letters to Santa: How are you dealing with the Canada Post strike?

Canada Post temporarily lays off some employees Canadian Union of Postal Workers negotiator Jim Gallant discusses what the union is calling an intimidation tactic by Canada Post.

The Canada Post strike will not only affect shopping or gifts you expect to send or receive in the mail.

Many Canadians and businesses rely on the mail system to receive important cheques, letters and items, from government benefit payments to new passports.

After failing to reach a negotiated agreement with their employer, about 55,000 Canada Post workers went on strike Friday.

Canada Post said Friday that the strike will affect its national network, delaying services. Mail and parcels will not be delivered during the work stoppage, and some post offices will be closed, according to the Crown corporation’s statement.

Processing and delivery of mail may need time to return to normal after the strike ends, it added.

Postal workers are pushing for better wages and working conditions, such as improved rights for temporary employees and increased paid medical days, paid meals and rest periods.

Canada Post earlier this week pledged to work to minimize disruptions, saying it will continue delivering benefit cheques, including those for the Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan.

Despite highlighting its financial struggles, the Crown corporation said that it's "committed to protecting what's most important to employees."

CTVNews.ca wants to speak to Canadians of all backgrounds – whether you're a parent, student, worker, professional or business owner – about their concerns regarding the Canada Post strike. How is the strike affecting you and your family? What do you plan to do if you previously intended to send or receive mail or packages? How do you feel about the workers' and companies' positions in the dispute, and do you have any ideas on how it can be resolved? Are you considering alternatives to sending or receiving mail? What are your tips for others on how to deal with the strike?

Share your opinions by emailing us at [e-mail] with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

With files from CTV News' Stephanie Ha and Spencer Van Dyk, and The Canadian Press