Canada Post presents ‘final offers' to postal workers union — here's what's included
Canada Post says it has presented 'final offers' to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) in an effort to resolve a long-running labour dispute.
In a news release, Canada Post said its final offers for urban and RSMC (rural and suburban mail carriers) will protect the Crown corporation's 55,000 workers and deliver on recommendations from an Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) to modernize its delivery model.
In its latest strike action, CUPW has enforced an overtime ban for all workers, which forbids working more than eight hours in a day or 40 hours per week.
Postal workers joined a 32-day nationwide strike last year before the federal government intervened.
Canada Post said recent strike-related uncertainty has significantly impacted its business. Parcel volumes have dropped by 65 per cent compared to the same time last year, the corporation said in a May 28 update.
In its latest bargaining update, CUPW said its negotiating committees had put forward 'pragmatic and workable concepts' to address major concerns. National president Jan Simpson called the proposals 'a realistic way forward,' but did not disclose further details.
The union also confirmed the national overtime ban remains in effect.
Canada Post has reported losses totalling more than $3 billion since 2018.
Earlier this year, the federal government announced up to $1.034 billion in repayable funding to help prevent the corporation from becoming insolvent.
'After almost two years of negotiations, a lengthy strike, an intensive review by the IIC and now the resumption of strike activity, the corporation's final offers are designed to move negotiations forward and return certainty and stability to Canada Post, its employees and Canadians,' the company said in a news release.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, Canada Post reported a $841-million pre-tax loss for 2024.
Canada Post said its final offer builds on terms outlined in the global offers presented May 21 and includes several added perks.
Among the key items:
Canada Post is maintaining the same wage offer presented in its May 21 global offers.
Current employees have been offered wage increases of six per cent in year one; three per cent in year two; and two per cent in years three and four, for a total compounded wage increase of 13.59 per cent over four years.
By comparison, the union has been seeking a 19 per cent raise over four years.
'The offers also provide employees with better income replacement for leave under the short-term disability program, and six added personal days locked into the collective agreements,' Canada Post added.
Canada Post said it no longer plans to change to its health and post-retirement benefit plans.
It also announced plans to create 'stable and predictable' part-time positions with access to pension and health benefits. These roles would support expanded weekend delivery services without requiring full-time letter carriers to work weekends. Part-time hours would range between 15 and 40 per week.
The company confirmed that dynamic routing — a system that recalculates routes daily to improve efficiency — will roll out initially at 10 facilities.
Canada Post employees and the public can read the final offer details
online
.
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