Negotiations between Canada Post and union put on ice

The negotiations between Canada Post and the union representing its workers have been put on hold, a week before another possible strike.

Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have been negotiating on and off over the last few months. However, the two sides haven’t reached a deal, and on Tuesday, Canada Post told the union it was pausing talks.

According to Canada Post, the pause is to prepare proposals aimed at moving the discussions forward.

“After several days of discussions without meaningful progress, Canada Post has informed the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that a temporary pause in discussions is necessary. This pause will allow Canada Post to focus on preparing comprehensive proposals aimed at moving discussions forward constructively,” Canada Post said in a statement.

“Negotiations resumed at the end of April after breaking off in March. While CUPW requested that both parties return to the table with the assistance of a mediator, the union has either held or hardened its previous positions on key issues, leaving little room for progress,” it claims.

However, the union says it’s “reprehensible” for the Crown Corporation to put the negotiations on ice, given the seriousness of the matter.

“This afternoon, Canada Post negotiators informed CUPW that they were leaving the bargaining table, calling it a ‘temporary pause,’ to put together another set of offers. Canada Post would not provide a date for when the Union will receive these proposals. It could be in a few days; it could be next week,” the union stated.

“Given the seriousness of the matter, it is reprehensible to keep workers and the public on edge when we should all be focused on negotiating good collective agreements that will benefit workers and grow our public service to meet the needs of all Canadians,” it added. “Throughout the entire bargaining process, Canada Post has refused to take responsibility for the financial situation it finds itself in. They have also ignored our offer to use existing collective agreement language to allow for weekend delivery.”

The union claims that Canada Post will only “drive away more customers.”

This pause is just the latest in ongoing negotiations, which saw unionized workers strike toward the end of 2024.

That job action never ended in a deal, with the federal government intervening and and Canada Industrial Relations Board ordering the two sides back to work on Dec. 15. The board also extended the previous contract between the two sides until May 22 — next Thursday — when we could see workers go back to the picket lines.

During last year’s strike, about 55,000 unionized workers were off the job for more than a month, causing a massive backlog of mail during the busy holiday season, with some deliveries not being made until earlier this year.

Wages and weekend delivery remain the key sticking points in the negotiation efforts.

With the pause in negotiations, Canada Post acknowledges that the uncertainty around a strike is challenging for people and businesses who rely on its services.

“Your business requires certainty in our ability to provide reliable service. We want to be able to provide that assurance, but we are preparing for all possible outcomes. We recognize that you need to prepare as well,” it stated.

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