Following the minister of Labour’s order on December 13, 2024, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) rendered its decision late last night. The minister ordered the CIRB to “Assess the likelihood of the parties reaching negotiated agreements by December 31, 2024, in the current circumstances.” If the CIRB was to determine that agreements were unlikely, it was to “order the Canada Post Corporation and all employees represented by the CUPW RSMC and CUPW UPO to resume and continue their operation and duties until May 22, 2025.”
As you may know by now, the Minister of Labour, Steve MacKinnon, is using his powers under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to request that the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) determine if the CUPW and Canada Post can negotiate a tentative agreement in the very near future. If the CIRB decides they cannot then the CIRB will order postal workers back to work. We denounce in the strongest terms this assault on our constitutionally protected right to free and fair collective bargain and our right to strike.
Today, CUPW successfully challenged the temporary layoff notices that Canada Post improperly issued to approximately 328 striking CUPW members in November 2024.
In our most recent proposals to Canada Post, the Union addressed many issues the Employer had first brought to the bargaining table. Far from trying to “widen the gap in negotiations,” the Union’s intention is to help the parties come to negotiated agreements. CUPW wants nothing more than for its members to have good collective agreements, with their rights protected.
This afternoon, December 9, the Urban and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers Negotiations Committees met directly with Canada Post to present revised proposals in response to the Corporation’s latest proposals.
The public post office distributes government cheques that are a vital part of the social safety net. We do not want pensioners and people who rely on government assistance to suffer during the current work disruption. The most vulnerable members of our society should not be caught in the crosshairs of our contract dispute with Canada Post.
Today, the National Executive Board finalized the Union’s latest counter proposals for the Urban, RSMC and combined demands. CUPW Negotiators quickly forwarded the new proposals to the Special Mediator.
The Union has been ready to return to the mediation process since it was suspended by the Government’s Special Mediator. As such, our counter proposals contain movement on both our demands and Employer demands to help bring the parties closer to an agreement.
Today, December 3, the National Executive Board met to update the Union’s response to Canada Post’s “comprehensive framework” provided on December 1, 2024.
Our response focuses on four key issues, which we need to see addressed if we are to achieve negotiated collective agreements.
Today, CUPW Negotiators carefully reviewed the Corporation’s December 1st “comprehensive framework” documents which contain Canada Post’s latest adjustments to their demands.
On December 1, the Union received new “comprehensive framework” documents which provided the current position of Canada Post through the special mediator for both the Urban Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers bargaining units.
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Canada needs a postal bank. Thousands of rural towns and villages in our country do not have a bank, but many of them have a post office that could provide financial services. As well, nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders. A postal bank could be that alternative. Download and sign the petition urging the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to add postal banking, with a mandate for financial inclusion.
The April 28 election is happening as we are engaged in a fight for the future of our post office and our jobs. Canada Post is pushing for drastic changes which could lead to job cuts and negatively impact our communities. Canada Post’s sole shareholder is the Government. Who is in government matters. We represent a big voting bloc which could have an impact on election results – particularly in tight races. We can make the future of our public post office an election issue.
Now that hearings for the Industrial Inquiry Commission are complete, we'd like to remind members of some important dates in the weeks ahead. Commissioner Kaplan’s final report to the Minister of Labour is due May 15. His report will give the Minister recommendations about how to resolve the issues in dispute in bargaining. It may also include recommendations about the structure and operations of Canada Post. We made our position clear throughout the hearings that these types of questions must only be dealt with in a fully public mandate review.
Postal workers are well aware that the planet is getting hotter. More and more, we are facing extreme events - such as an increasing number of wildfires with their toxic smoke, lethal heat domes and atmospheric rivers bringing more rain, more coastal storms and more flooding. But it’s children who are most at risk.
A federal election has now been called for April 28, 2025. Although the Canadian Union of Postal Workers does not endorse any party, we will be putting pressure on candidates from all parties to commit to defending our public post office and good stable jobs.
On Thursday, March 20, CUPW will join U.S. postal workers in a day of action to defend the public post office.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is facing one of the most serious threats in its history. Postal worker jobs and unions, and the USPS’s public service mission are under assault by the Trump administration that seems to have one end goal in mind: privatization.
Following targeted testing in late 2024 and early 2025, the Canada Post MyMoney Account is now available nationwide. This marks a key step in expanding Canada Post’s financial services offerings.
On March 3rd and 4th, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) continued with its constitutional challenge before the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB).