.jpg)
Following an announcement from Canada Post that they would unilaterally change working conditions and suspend employee benefits for front-liners, and after months of continued failures at the negotiating table, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) plans to resume the strike which was suspended by the federal government in December.
"In regards to the upcoming strike, I just feel that there needs to be a little bit of clarification around that," said Darla Jattansingh, president of CUPW Local 781 in Moose Jaw. "Back in December, the Liberal Labour Minister at the time, Steven MacKinnon, exercised section 107 and 108 of the Labour Code and put our strike on pause. So, our strike essentially never ended — it was put on pause.
"Mr. MacKinnon also extended our collective agreements to the expiration date of May 22nd, 2025. So, last week, the corporation gave notice of a change in working conditions to remove all of our benefits and annual leave or vacation leave, et cetera, pending the 22nd deadline. Because we were legally already on strike and only paused, we, meaning the union, weren't required to give 72-hour notice. Just as a formality, the Union also initiated a 72-hour as a response to the corporation's change in working conditions."
In its statement announcing receipt of the strike notices, Canada Post headquarters warned that a labour disruption will affect millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on the postal service and deepen the company’s already serious financial situation.
"It is critical that both parties focus their energies on resolving issues to reach negotiated agreements," the statement continued. "In the event CUPW initiates rotating strike activity, Canada Post intends to continue delivering in unaffected areas while working to reach negotiated agreements. Canada Post will work to minimize service disruptions, but customers may experience delays."
Any mail and parcels that are in the system as of the beginning of the strike will be secured until operations resume — but no deliveries will be happening, and a strike means Canada Post will not accept any new items. Socio-economic cheques (SECs) for the month of May will be delivered prior to the possibility of any strike activity commencing. Canadians will receive their cheques the same way they normally receive their mail. It is also the season for shipping live animals. A process is in place to ensure these deliveries continue during a labour disruption; however, no new shipments will be accepted in affected areas.
Canada Post workers in Moose Jaw said during the last strike, which took place just before Christmas, that the corporation is using its workers to scapegoat for years of irresponsible spending by executives and management. At that time, Jattansingh called out management bonuses, investments into the new $500-million Albert Jackson Processing Centre, and a brand-new fleet of all-electric vehicles as examples of spending by Canada Post, even as it claims massive deficits and seeks to cut wages and benefits to its workers.
"There's no dispute that Canada Post has money issues," Jattansingh said, "and there's also no doubt that Canada Post is in charge of their spending. All these strategic investments that they spent billions of dollars on over the past few years — if a company is essentially insolvent, which is what Canada Post is claiming they are, and they can't keep the lights on, you likely wouldn't make those strategic investments when you know you're going to bankrupt the company.
"So no, the workers and the union certainly do not feel that Canada Post has our backs, or even at this point respects or values us. And for the most part, we understand that some things need to shift, and we are very much in support of helping Canada Post rise — however, not on the backs of the workers and not on the backs of the generations of workers that haven't even come up yet."
Canada Post has called the timing of the strike critical: "Since 2018, the Corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024. In early 2025, the Government of Canada announced repayable funding of up to $1.034 billion for Canada Post to prevent insolvency."
However, workers say that Canada Post is a Crown public service designed to benefit Canadians by connecting them and providing solid middle-class jobs in hundreds of otherwise unconnected communities. The CUPW is calling for a change in leadership attitudes, away from a commercial, for-profit mindset, and back to providing a vital public service. They have published a website (Delivering Community Power) outlining a plan to revitalize Canada Post, in hopes of returning the corporation to a frontline community focus.
"Our constitutional rights were infringed upon in December when Mr. MacKinnon put us on pause," Jattansingh added. "And Canada Post has walked away from the negotiating table three different times over this spring. And so, here we are in the final moments before our contract expires. The workers are frustrated and scared, but at the same time, they are committed to protecting the public Postal Service."
If you have concerns about losing your public post office within your community and/or losing your door-to-door delivery service, Jattansingh said, we encourage you to check out CUPW.ca and join our "Hands Off My Post Office" campaign, as well as contact your MP so that Canadians have a voice.
"That would probably be all I could say at this point. We'll see if the proposal that Canada Post is promising actually does come through today."
Visit canadapost.ca/negotiations for the latest information on negotiations and a list of affected locations in the event of labour disruptions.