Canada Post, on May 21, said it had presented new global offers to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), “demonstrating a commitment to reach agreements and maintain continuity of postal services for Canadians.”
On May 20, Canada Post received strike notices from CUPW, indicating the union intended to begin strike activity May 23 at 12:00 a.m.
“Our negotiating committee is currently on the way to receive the proposals,” said the union’s national president Jan Simpson in a news release on Wednesday. “Once the offers are officially presented, we will take the time to carefully review the details of the offers to ensure they align with the priorities and needs of our members. We will provide a comprehensive update once we’ve completed our review and analysis.”
As of press time, it was not known if CUPW would proceed with strike action.
Canada Post said the new offers, for urban and rural and suburban mail carriers’ bargaining units, go further on wage increases and would protect employees’ benefits and entitlements. It added the offers also reflect the corporation’s current realities.
“Canada Post has proposed important changes to its delivery model to increase its flexibility and help address the corporation’s significant financial and operational challenges.”
Since 2018, Canada Post says it has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and will post another significant loss for 2024. In early 2025, the Government of Canada announced repayable funding of up to $1.034 billion for Canada Post to prevent insolvency.
“Building on the important work of the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) and the findings and recommendations in its final report, the parties must now bring urgency to negotiations. Another labour disruption would be costly and disruptive for employees, small businesses and the millions of Canadians who rely on the postal system,” the corporation said.
Canada Post is still proposing critical changes to its delivery model to help it compete in parcel delivery seven days a week. The company plans to create parttime jobs for people looking for flexible work. The part-time positions would provide health and pension benefits and scheduled and guaranteed hours (15 to 40 hours of work per week). It said the creation of part-time jobs increases the company’s delivery flexibility, especially on weekends, while ensuring that letter carriers are not required to work weekend shifts.
Canada Post said if CUPW starts rotating strikes, it intends to continue delivering in unaffected areas while working to reach negotiated agreements.
If there is a national labour disruption, mail and parcels will not be delivered and no new items accepted until the disruption is over. All mail and parcels in Canada Post’s network will be secured and delivered as quickly as possible once operations resume. Socio-economic cheques for May will be delivered prior to the possibility of any strike activity commencing. Details about SECs for June will be shared shortly.
Visit canadapost.ca/negotiations for the latest information on negotiations and a list of affected locations in the event of labour disruptions.
