The union representing Canada Post workers said it will be in a legal strike position on Friday, exactly one year after talks on a new contract began.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) said in a statement early Tuesday that its executive board was giving the required 72-hours notice for both its rural and urban mail carrier bargaining units.
The union said that despite talks that began on Nov. 15, 2023, “the parties remain far apart on many issues,” including wage increases, pensions and medical leave.
CUPW was in a legal strike position as of Nov. 3, after a legally mandated cooling-off period. In a vote last month, more than 95 per cent of both urban and rural workers backed a strike mandate, the union has said.
But in the statement early Tuesday from CUPW president Jan Simpson, the union said it hasn’t decided if a job action will take place immediately, saying it “will depend on Canada Post’s actions at the bargaining table in the days to come.”
Canada Post said in a statement on its website that it intends to continue delivery services while at the negotiating table.
“However, the ongoing possibility of a labour disruption has been significantly eroding Canada Post’s volumes and escalating the negative financial impact on the company,” the statement read, adding that unless a new agreement is reached, the current collective agreement will no longer apply as of Friday.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon told CBC News on Tuesday that the government is offering “mediation support” in the talks.
“We are hoping to achieve a deal at the table. The issues at hand in the Canada Post negotiations are substantial. They’re significant,” the minister said.
“There’s a lot of work to do, and I know the parties are negotiating today. We will make every effort possible to keep them at the table and keep them talking, and we hope to achieve a negotiated settlement there.”
$3 billion in losses since 2018
Canada Post has said in recent strike-related statements that it’s at a “critical juncture” and that its “deteriorating financial situation could require the company to revisit its proposals.”
It warned that continued labour strife will adversely affect the company and have consequences for customers over the upcoming busy holiday period, especially in rural communities.
The threat of a labour disruption was already “rapidly impacting” its revenue, the company said last week, with retailers switching service providers in anticipation of a strike and the volume of mail and parcels “down significantly.”
