Government petition sought by Canada Post for compulsory vote on their newest proposal

Canada Post Calls for Vote on Final Offer as Union Talks Remain Stalemated

In a letter addressed to Patty Hadju, the federal minister of jobs and families, Canada Post has requested government intervention to compel the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to put its latest offer to a vote. The move comes following 18 months of collective bargaining negotiations that continue to remain deadlocked.

The government-owned corporation has sought a vote overseen by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, arguing that the current impasse requires employee input to achieve a freely negotiated agreement. Hadju stated that her office is reviewing the request and will provide further updates shortly.

Canada Post and CUPW first initiated bargaining talks for the Urban and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) units in November 2023. Despite numerous attempts at conciliation and mediation, the parties failed to reach any agreement since then. The union took strike action last year, from November 17 to December 17, and was later ordered by the government to return. Since May 23, CUPW members have been in a legal strike position, although they have continued delivering mail while refusing to work overtime.

On May 28, 2025, Canada Post presented its latest offer, which includes:

A $1,000 signing bonus for Urban employees or $500 for RSMC employees
An improved Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) with a lower inflation threshold
The discontinuation of mandatory overtime

Additional key points of the offer focus on reshaping the delivery model to address Canada Post’s financial challenges. These challenges include losses exceeding $3 billion since 2018 and anticipated further losses in 2024. The proposals aim to maintain postal services continuity and prevent insolvency through repayable government funding of up to $1.034 billion, as announced earlier in 2025.

According to the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC), Canada Post is grappling with an existential crisis, operating effectively bankrupt. The commission believes that without targeted, strategic changes, the corporation's financial situation will only worsen.

CUPW has yet to respond to the vote request, stating earlier in the week that they are reviewing the management offers. The union's position is that though initial reviews show shortcomings in the offers, they hope for resumption of the bargaining process to address these issues. The corporation's proposed wage increase, previously a sticking point in negotiations—a 13.59% hike over four years—remains unchanged in the current proposal.

As tensions grow, CUPW has also planned to hold nationwide rallies on Saturday, under the banner "Hands off my Post Office." These demonstrations will take place at various locations, including the Prime Minister's Office and the Alberta Jackson Plant in Scarborough.

With files from Kevin Jiang

The government of Canada is being asked by Canada Post to intervene and compel the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to put Canada Post's latest offer to a vote, as negotiations remain stalemated following 18 months of collective bargaining.
The government-owned corporation is seeking a vote overseen by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, arguing that the current impasse requires employee input to achieve a freely negotiated agreement.
In finance news, Canada Post's financial challenges, including losses exceeding $3 billion since 2018 and anticipated further losses in 2024, are a key focus in the corporation's latest offer, which aims to maintain postal services continuity and prevent insolvency.
As the situation remains tense, CUPW has planned to hold nationwide rallies, under the banner "Hands off my Post Office," at various locations, including the Prime Minister's Office and the Alberta Jackson Plant in Scarborough.
The media is reporting on the general-news story that Canada's postal industry is facing an existential crisis, with the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) believing that without targeted, strategic changes, the corporation's financial situation will only worsen, affecting both business and politics in Canada.

Government petition sought by Canada Post for compulsory vote on their newest proposal