Canada Post strike possible in May

Canada Post and the CUPW have set a May 22 negotiation deadline

Canadians could experience a disruption in Canada Post services in May.

Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have agreed to resume contract negotiations this week.

The two parties last sat around the bargaining table in March for mediated talks that concluded without a new agreement.

Canada Post and the CUPW will operate under the current contract while these new negotiations take place.

“Bargaining takes place as the parties wait for the final report of the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC),” Jan Simpson, national president of the CUPW, said in a statement.” Commissioner William Kaplan must provide his recommendations to the Minister of Labour no later than May 15. The extension of our current collective agreements will expire on May 22.”

It is own statement Canada Post confirmed the current agreement is in place until May 22.

The minister of labour established the IIC in December 2024 to identify key collective bargaining issues and how to address them.

Canada Post, for example, advocated for flexibility to keep up with the new realities of parcel and courier services.

CUPW’s offer included wage increases of 22 per cent over for years.

In November 2024 as the two sides appeared to be headed towards labour disruptions, multiple ag insurance providers encouraged farm customers to find other ways of doing business.

In Manitoba, for example, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation steered customers towards the myMASC online portal, or to consider using email, fax or in-person visits to bypass the Canadian postal system.

Alberta Financial Services Corporation encouraged anyone who receives lending statements by mail to sign up for online delivery, and direct deposit if they hadn’t already.

The Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation also urged farmers to sign up for direct deposit.