Labour minister pushes for 'deal at the table' after Canada Post union issues strike notice
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says the federal government currently has no plans to intervene in negotiations after the union representing Canada Post workers issued a 72-hour strike notice on Tuesday morning.
“We are hoping to achieve a deal at the table,” MacKinnon said during a press conference on Tuesday. “The issues at hand in the Canada Post negotiations are substantial. They’re significant.”
“There's a lot of work to do, and I know the parties are negotiating today,” he added. “We will make every effort possible to keep them at the table and keep them talking, and we hope to achieve a negotiated settlement there.”
When pressed, MacKinnon insisted the government’s plan is to “support collective bargaining,” and that it’s “put all the resources that are required into supporting the parties” in place, namely “mediation support.”
If it came to it, the Liberals may be challenged in advancing back-to-work legislation through the House of Commons, as work in the chamber has been largely stalled since September, due to a Conservative-led privilege debate.
Both sides of the bargaining table, meanwhile, have expressed disappointment at the current state of the negotiations.
Canada Post workers have a slate of demands, including wage increases in line with inflation, “improved staffing provisions,” increased paid medical days, paid meals and rest periods, and improved rights for temporary employees.
According to a statement from the union representing Canada Post workers, it’s undecided whether job actions will take place immediately, though they’ll legally be in position to strike as of Friday.
Next steps will be determined based on Canada Post’s actions at the bargaining table, the statement reads.
“We haven’t decided how the strike would look, we're hoping to get a negotiated contract to avoid having a strike action actually take place,” CUPW national president Jan Simpson told CTV News Channel.
“We're trying to get a fair wage, we're trying to improve health and safety issues, we're trying to ensure that we can retire with dignity, with our pensions, as well as expand the public post office,” she also said.
Simpson added “arbitrated contracts are not good for anyone,” and the union hopes Canada Post will “come to the table with real solutions” to address both parties’ concerns.
The union national president said negotiations have been going on for nearly a year, but there hasn’t been “much movement” in that time.
In a statement released Tuesday, Canada Post said it will continue delivering mail even if the union initiates rotating strike activity. Benefit cheques, including those for the Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan, will also continue to be delivered despite any disruptions.
“Canada Post has notified the union that unless new agreements are reached, the current collective agreements will no longer apply as of Friday,” the statement reads. “The Corporation will then be in a position, using the means provided in the Canada Labour Code, to adjust operations based on its operational realities and business needs.”
The company said the challenges it’s facing will “intensify” if it does not adapt to compete with today’s parcel delivery market.
And in a bargaining update issued last week, Canada Post called the negotiations “less productive than hoped for.”
“Urgency is needed at the table and we remain hopeful that further discussions will afford a breakthrough,” it also reads. “However, our deteriorating financial situation, and the impact on our customers, could require the company to revisit its proposals.”
According to Canada Post, the company lost about $748 million last year, and $490 million just in the first half of this year.
Despite increasing the price of stamps, Canada Post says it will “fall below required operating and reserve cash requirements by early 2025” without additional borrowing.
“Seven-day delivery is absolutely critical,” Canada Post spokesperson Jon Hamilton said in an interview with CTV News on Tuesday. “Having a flexible delivery model that allows us to provide different services and more affordable services is absolutely critical.”
“The parcel business has changed so much in just the last few years coming out of COVID,” he added. “The competition is just insane.”
Hamilton said the company hopes to find a resolution to the labour dispute as soon as possible, especially so it can evolve to compete in the delivery market. Without those framework changes to the business, he says, it can’t afford to meet the union’s demands.
With files from CTV News’ Colton Praill
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Jay-Z accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old in 2000 incident along with Sean 'Diddy' Combs
A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Sean 'Diddy' Combs has amended her lawsuit to include allegations that she was also assaulted by Jay-Z at the same party.
Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad?
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader of the insurgency in Syria, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing to ties to al-Qaida.
A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer
The search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's has stretched beyond New York City and continues. Here's what we know so far.
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible
Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as U.S. president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office.
Suspect wanted after victim forcibly confined, assaulted, and threatened with death in Scarborough
Police have released images of an individual who allegedly forcibly confined, and assaulted and threatened to kill another person in southwest Scarborough over the weekend.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them.
Pantone names its colour of the year for 2025
Pantone has named an 'evocative soft brown' its colour of the year for 2025, continuing a tradition that has now run for more than a quarter of a century.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip
Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
Local Spotlight
Kiwanis Club and Toys ‘R’ Us team up to give hundreds of kids Christmas gifts
Northmount Kiwanis Club of Calgary invited 500 kids to Toys "R" Us for its annual Toy Project Sunday.
Major Manitoba fossil milestones highlight the potential for future discoveries in the province
A trio of fossil finds through the years helped put Manitoba on the mosasaur map, and the milestone of those finds have all been marked in 2024.
The 61st Annual Christmas Daddies Telethon raises more than $559,000 for children in need
The 61st annual Christmas Daddies Telethon continued its proud Maritime tradition, raising more than $559,000 for children in need on Saturday.
Calgary company steps up to help grieving family with free furnace after fatal carbon monoxide poisoning
A Calgary furnace company stepped up big time Friday to help a Calgary family grieving the loss of a loved one.
'A well-loved piece': Historic carousel display from Hudson’s Bay Company store lands at Winnipeg shop
When a carousel setup from the Hudson’s Bay Company became available during an auction, a Winnipeg business owner had to have it.
Sask. doctor facing professional charges in circumcision case
A Saskatoon doctor has been accused of unprofessional conduct following a high-cost adult circumcision that included a request for the patient to text unsecured post-op pictures of his genitals.
Regina home recognized internationally for architectural design
Jane Arthur and her husband David began a unique construction project in 2014. Now, a decade later, their home in Regina's Cathedral neighbourhood has won a title in the Urban House and Villa category at the World Architecture Festival.
Calgary director Kiana Rawji turns her lens toward slums of Nairobi with 'Mama of Manyatta'
Two films shot in Kenya by a director and writer based in Brooklyn who grew up in Calgary are getting their Calgary premiere screening Saturday.
N.S. woman finds endangered leatherback sea turtle washed up on Cape Breton beach
Mary Janet MacDonald has gone for walks on Port Hood Beach, N.S., most of her life, but in all those years, she had never seen anything like the discovery she made on Saturday: a leatherback sea turtle.