The Canada Post strike could end as early as next week.
Canada’s labour minister has asked a federal board to review the state of negotiations and, if it sees fit, order striking postal workers back to work.
In simple terms, MacKinnon said he believes negotiations are not working. It will be up to the Canada Industrial Relations Board to decide if it agrees. If it does, it will force an end to the strike.
Postal workers began their strike four weeks ago, halting mail and package deliveries across the country. If they’re forced to resume, staff will continue to work under the current collective agreement until May 22, 2025.
The two parties still have the chance to come to their own agreement, but that will need to happen soon.
Additionally, MacKinnon is ordering an inquiry into why negotiations fell apart. That inquiry will result in recommendations on how the corporation and its union can negotiate more productively in the future.
“We’re calling a time out,” said MacKinnon.
He says Indigenous peoples and those in remote communities have already suffered as a result of the strike. Holiday revenue streams for small businesses and charities have also been impacted.
“My bosses are Canadians, and Canadians who are suffering unduly in this dispute.”
Canada Post employees and supporters rally at Canada Post headquarters in Ottawa, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press)
Neither party has publicly responded to MacKinnon’s announcement.
In a letter posted online Thursday, Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) President Jan Simpson told members to “stay strong.”
“Strikes are never easy. They demand sacrifice, resilience, and a belief that change is worth fighting for,” she wrote.
Wages, job security and minimum hours are the centrepiece of the negotiating table for the union.
CUPW said it came to the table this week with a downgraded wage hike demand – 19 per cent over four years, down from a previous ask of 24 per cent – and requests for medical days, disability payments and “improved rights” for temporary workers.
“This isn’t just about pay or benefits, it’s about fairness, dignity, and the recognition that the work you do is important to communities across the country,” reads Simpson’s letter.
Canada Post has said the union’s requests are too expensive, especially after six years of financial losses.
“Added up, all the demands in CUPW’s latest offers would cost more than $3 billion over four years,” reads Canada Post’s most recent negotiations update, published on Wednesday.
More details to come.
