Canada Post, union talks ongoing with no strike notice but CUPW says it could be issued if talks break down
Canada Post says it's 'rapidly falling behind' in competitive parcel delivery market
Canada Post announced that talks with the union representing postal workers continued on Sunday, with no notice from either side of an impending work stoppage.
In a brief statement, the Crown corporation shared that both parties have agreed not to issue the required 72-hour notice of a strike or lockout "as long as the talks are productive." Canada Post confirmed that operations are proceeding as usual.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) reached a legal strike position as of Sunday following the end of a cooling-off period in contract discussions on Saturday but has yet to issue a strike notice. The union stated Friday that a notice could still be issued "at any time" should negotiations fail.
Last week, Canada Post presented a new contract offer that includes annual wage increases totaling 11.5 percent over four years. The offer also preserves the defined benefit pension, job security, and health benefits for current employees. The corporation emphasized that the proposal is designed to "ensure current employees don’t lose ground."
On Wednesday, the union responded, saying the offer "is far from what we are demanding and deserve."
Earlier in the week, the union announced that its members voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike mandate if an agreement cannot be reached. Preliminary results showed that 95.8 percent of urban workers and 95.5 percent of rural workers support the strike mandate.
In its Sunday statement, Canada Post noted it is "rapidly falling behind in today’s highly competitive, customer-focused parcel delivery market." Last week, it reported a $490 million loss for the first half of 2024 and a $3 billion loss since 2018, stressing the need for a "more flexible and affordable delivery model" that includes seven-day parcel delivery.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon met with the union and Canada Post management on Thursday, urging both sides to work towards a negotiated settlement.
