Wednesday August 13, 2025 | NATIONAL [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
News analysis by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
Short version: The two sides are still locked in separate realities which together do not indicate the possibility of a resolution in the short term.
So far, the federal government has tried to intervene by requesting a report and then also forcing the union members to vote. Still no evidence of ministry work to evolve the mandate of Canada Post.
Today’s update:
Canada Post has announced today that the corporation will meet with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) at the negotiating table two days from now, starting Friday August 15.
Yesterday, both parties met with the federal mediators. CUPW agreed to meet with Canada Post on Friday and on Monday (August 15 and August 18).
The goal for Canada Post is to hear the union’s response to what the corporation describes as its “best and final offers” as first presented on May 28, 2025.
CUPW members voted on the corporation’s offer during July 21 to August 1, 2025. They rejected the offer with about 69% of employees voting against the corporation ‘final offer’.
CUPW response today:
CUPW says today that Canada Post “delayed negotiations for two months by requesting a forced vote, and this after the Government paused our legal strike for 6 months”.
The CUPW national overtime ban remains in effect.
“The parties will meet on Friday to resume good faith discussions with the assistance of federal mediators,” states a Canada Post spokesperson today. “
“The company looks forward to receiving a detailed and comprehensive response from CUPW that addresses the real, significant and increasing challenges faced by the postal service,” says Canada Post.
Business scenario:
Canada Post says it is is facing an existential crisis: “Letter mail volumes continue to erode and competition in the parcel line of business places ever increasing pressure on the Corporation’s operating model.”
However, for years Canada Post did not substantially increase their postage rates (perhaps curtailed by the legislated mandate that they deliver to every address) and if they thought to change to weekend delivery using part-time workers they found themselves curtailed by full-time union goals.
An independent Industrial Inquiry Commission report was issued on May 15 which described the current scenario but did not offer much in the way of forward-looking creative solutions.
“While negotiations remain unresolved, there remains an urgent need to modernize Canada Post and protect this vital national service for Canadians,” says Canada Post.
Looking to the future:
CUPW continues to protect the full-time ‘job for life’ conditions that their workers have. While that has been a gold-standard employment scenario for postal workers, there is little in the business world beyond Canada Post where that type of job situation or expectation exists as the world keeps evolving.
As stated in earlier editorials, this is an opportunity for Canada Post to be a leader in job security by bringing workers along in a new paradigm of business service reformation and job retraining both within and beyond the postal-delivery corporation.
The federal government has yet to talk about renewing the Canada Post mandate which could liberate some opportunities for evolution of the corporation, assist with its survival and create new paradigms for secure employment.
===== RELATED:
- What can possibly break the Canada Post bargaining stalemate? (August 6, 2025)
- Jobs minister directs a Canada Post workers vote (June 12, 2025)
- Canada Post workers still on the job with overtime ban (May 23, 2025)
- Canada Post needs revamp but commissioner’s recommendations fall short (May 19, 2025)
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