Federal Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu will force a vote on Canada Post’s final offers to the mail carriers’ union.
In a social media post this morning (Thursday), she noted “After 18 months of negotiation, over 200 meetings … 33 days of strike and a lockout in the fall,” a vote is “in the public interest,”
However, CUPW 812 President, Nicole Chouinard told Vista Radio the postal company is being rewarded for bad behaviour over their unwillingness to modify there latest proposal.
“By sitting on their hands again waiting for government intervention, they have gotten exactly what they wanted by refusing to fairly negotiate.”
“We are extremely disappointed. I don’t know why the government feels it is appropriate to step on our constitutional right to bargain collectively and come to an agree without their intervention.”
She added if the postal workers union vote comes back as a resounding no, its back to arbitration, which isn’t bad thing.
“If the no vote comes through, it will end up being a forced arbitration situation and we are okay with that. If that is what it takes to get both sides to come together in the middle than that is what needs to happen.”
The postal workers union returned to the bargaining table after the minister ordered the participation of federal mediators to help resolve the dispute.
Canada Post issued the following statement:
Canada Post has received notice that the Minister of Jobs and Families has approved its request for a vote to take place on the company’s final offers to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), using her authority under section 108.1 of the Canada Labour Code.
The vote will be administered by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) as soon as possible and will give employees in the Urban and RSMC (Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers) bargaining units the opportunity to have their say on Canada Post’s final offers. We stand ready to work with the CIRB to prepare for the vote and will share details as soon as they are available.
We welcome the Minister’s decision as it will provide employees with the opportunity to have a voice and vote on a new collective agreement at a critical point in our history. This ratification vote comes as the parties remain at an impasse after 18 months of negotiations, a national strike and an Industrial Inquiry Commission which detailed the challenges we face, and what needs to be done to begin addressing them.
A negotiated agreement between the parties has always been the preferred path to an employee ratification vote, however the parties remain at a major impasse. Canada Post presented final offers to employees in the Urban and RSMC bargaining units on May 28, 2025. The vote will take place on these offers.
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