Sunday March 2, 2025 | NATIONAL NEWS [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
This weekend, mediated talks with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have borken down without a negotiated agreement, says the Canada Post Corporation.
For weeks after the strike, many households were still finding their mail delivery to be behind schedule.
Other than that, most folks haven’t been thinking about the last postal strike (which lasted a month between mid-November and mid-December 2024), other than small businesses who might be making permanent shifts to other delivery solutions.
Another strike could happen again on May 22, 2025 if things are not sorted out between the corporation and the workers.
Hoping for progress:
Canada Post has told its business customers today that they and CUPW have participated in negotiations yesterday and today (March 1 and 2).
“The weekend negotiations were held in parallel with detailed discussions between the parties at the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC), which is examining the bargaining dispute and significant challenges facing Canada Post,” says Canada Post.
“We entered the weekend hoping that agreements could be reached with CUPW, with the assistance of a mediator.,” says Canada Post.
“We are disappointed we were not able to reach a deal this weekend, but remain committed to negotiating new collective agreements,” says Canada Post.
Union stance:
“The Union offered meaningful proposals to help Canada Post expand into weekend parcel deliveries, while protecting full-time jobs,” says CUPW national president Jan Simpson in a letter to members.
“However, the Corporation continued to push for serious rollbacks that would gut our agreements, explode part-time and temporary work, and undermine our full-time jobs,” stated the Canadian Union of Postal Workers today.
Ahead of negotiations, CUPW said: “CUPW is trying to negotiate new collective agreements for both Urban and Rural and Suburban Mail Carrier (RSMC) bargaining units which will both benefit postal workers and strengthen our public post office – now and for future generations.”
Corporate survival:
Canada Post is struggling for its survival after six years of revenue shortfalls and a continuing shift by its customers to using other means of delivery.
Many people don’t mail letters anymore, and the private courier sector has taken a large chunk of the parcel delivery market.
It was only this year that Canada Post significantly increased the price of stamps and the service is still a discounted deal for consumers.
Postal workers still cling to corporate jobs with pay structures that no longer seem doable for the corporation while, finally, the corporation is seeking operational flexibility.
“CUPW has continued to put forward proposals that would create more rigidity in our delivery model,” says Canada Post.
The federal government provided a temporary loan of $1.034 billion to Canada Post just five weeks ago, but that is largely seen as a bailout unless the corporation can turn its financial fortunes around.
Weekend delivery model:
This weekend, Canada Post put forward what they call “a workable and affordable weekend delivery model that would allow the company to compete in the important parcel delivery market using a dedicated part-time workforce”.
The Canada Post proposals include:
• A more flexible staffing model that would provide greater opportunity to have work performed at regular rates of pay, through the creation of new part-time flex positions with guaranteed hours on weekdays.
• Provisions that would allow the company to better match labour requirements to fluctuating mail and parcel volumes.
• With these changes, our proposals maintained the significant protections afforded to employees, including renewing the job security provisions for regular employees.
Growing the core business:
Canada Post feels these changes “are essential to provide Canada Post the ability to grow its core delivery business in today’s competitive environment”.
Constitutional challenge:
“This latest effort to negotiate collective agreements is happening in parallel with the Industrial Inquiry Commission,” says CUPW.
CUPW says it will continue with its constitutional challenge before the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) tomorrow, March 3.
“The Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, via the CIRB, forced us to return to work in December 2024 under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, violating our constitutional rights and forcing an end to our legal strike,” states CUPW to its members today.
===== RELATED:
- Canada Post parcel invoice system upgrade (February 13, 2025)
- Quietly stabilizing Canada Post with a $1.034 billion loan (January 24, 2025)
- Jan 13: Canada Post letter mail & parcel prices up (January 14, 2025)
- Canada Post domestic parcel service now fully restored (January 7, 2025)
- Canada Post service resumes Dec 17 with workers back on the job (December 17, 2024)
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