First off is the Union statement
CUPW Issues 72-Hour Strike Notice: A Call for Fair Negotiation
Tuesday May 20 2025
2023-2027/251
No. 83 - AMENDED
On Monday, May 19, CUPW issued a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post. This action was not taken lightly, but it was done for several reasons.
The collective agreements for the Urban Postal Operations and the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers bargaining units, which were extended by the Government in December 2024, are set to expire Friday, May 23 at midnight.
CUPW negotiators met with Canada Post over several days at the end of April and early May, with the goal of resolving our bargaining dispute and achieving new collective agreements for both bargaining units.
Last week, Canada Post walked away from the bargaining table for the third time, telling the Union it would return with new comprehensive offers. A week has passed. With the expiry of our collective agreements drawing closer by the day, we are still waiting. The clock is ticking, and so far, Canada Post has yet to deliver.
The day after Canada Post walked away and paused bargaining, it fired another shot, by threatening to unilaterally change your working conditions and suspend employee benefits if new agreements aren’t reached. This aggressive move undermines good faith bargaining and the stability of our public postal service. It had to be met with strong resistance. Postal workers won’t be threatened or coerced into accepting offers that will gut our collective agreements and undermine good, stable jobs.
Our right to strike was taken away from us and put on “a time out” by former Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon’s orders and the Canada Industrial Relations Board in December 2024. By issuing this notice, we are simply announcing our intention to continue our legal strike that was put on pause by the CIRB.
The Work Continues
Although we have served notices, there is still time for negotiations to take place. We remain committed to achieving negotiated collective agreements. Your National Executive Board and Negotiating Committees urge Canada Post to return to the bargaining table with real offers that protect the health and well-being of postal workers, support the communities we serve, and ensure a strong and sustainable public postal service for all.
In solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President
Postal Workers Can’t Wait Forever!
Friday September 12 2025
2023-2027/324
No. 136
Over a month ago, postal workers soundly rejected Canada Post’s offers in a government-forced vote. The Corporation’s plan to bypass the Union and impose rollbacks on us failed.
With the Corporation’s offers rejected by the membership, the only way to settle this dispute is at the bargaining table and the Employer changing its positions.
That’s why CUPW’s negotiators returned to the table on August 20 to present new global offers – offers that meet postal workers’ needs while also ensuring Canada Post could enhance its services to the public and grow its revenues.
But instead of engaging seriously with our proposals, Canada Post once again abandoned bargaining.
The Employer tried to tell us that we had to modify our positions to meet its demands and we had to accept the same terms and conditions that the forced vote just decisively rejected. Even after its plan blew up, the Employer refused to move: its positions are still “non-negotiable.”
On Monday, We Escalate!
Postal workers can’t bargain with themselves. We need Canada Post to get back to the table and negotiate now! The silence from Canada Post speaks volumes.
That’s why we are forced to escalate our actions.
As of Monday, September 15, at 12:01 am local time, postal workers will no longer process or deliver unaddressed flyers (Neighbourhood Mail). At the same time, the overtime ban will end.
We can’t let Canada Post ignore us anymore. Postal workers need new contracts, and they need them now.
It’s well past time Canada Post respond to our proposals. As we head towards another holiday season, the public is counting on stability. Canada Post needs to get back to the bargaining table to ensure stability to the postal system.
In solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President
CUPW introduces ban on Neighbourhood Mail delivery
CUPW has announced it will introduce a ban on the delivery of Neighbourhood Mail, starting Monday, September 15 at 12:01 am local time. This new strike activity will replace the union’s overtime ban that was in place since May.
No delivery of Neighbourhood Mail
Due to this decision by CUPW, employees are not permitted to deliver Neighbourhood Mail, effective Monday, September 15.
As well, effective immediately, no Neighbourhood Mail will be accepted for drop-off at plants, depots, post offices or other facilities. All delivery vehicles intending to drop off Neighbourhood Mail will be turned away.
Further uncertainty and impacts on thousands of businesses
We are disappointed in CUPW’s decision to ban the delivery of Neighbourhood Mail, which we first learned about today through the union’s news conference in Ottawa. This decision will impact the thousands of Canadian businesses that reach their customers with information and offers through the mail. It will also impact CUPW-represented employees who are paid to deliver Neighbourhood Mail on top of their wages.
This latest strike activity will only increase the uncertainty that is having a major impact on the business. Canada Post recently reported a second-quarter loss of $407 million, marking the Corporation’s largest loss before tax in a single quarter. From 2018 to the second quarter of 2025, the company has posted cumulative losses from operations of more than $5 billion. Without significant changes, these losses will continue and will be borne by taxpayers, which is not sustainable.
Committed to reaching new agreements
The gap between the parties remains substantial. CUPW’s most recent offers either maintained or hardened its positions on many items, adding significant new costs.
We encourage CUPW to come back with workable solutions that reflect our current reality and get the parties closer to a resolution. We’re disappointed that the union chose not to do so, and instead chose strike activity that will have further negative impacts on the company.
Canada Post remains committed to reaching new collective agreements through the bargaining process.
Stay informed
Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to keep all employees informed.
@reallynicestamps wrote:
And notice that the union workers will now be available to work overtime, which puts a few dollars in the union members pockets, and out of the management purse.
If there is no junk mail and the fact that many of the bigger shippers have already switched from Canada Post to other alternatives (including Purolator) what real need would there be for any significant amount of overtime work?
Overtime is needed during peak seasons and when volumes get out of hand, CP volumes are way down so how much of a need is there for overtime?
Typical CUPW, they stop handling the (profitable for CP) junk mail and then pretend to offer a bone by reinstating overtime (probably little need).
Perhaps the return of Parliament next week is making CUPW a little nervous?
Glad to see you posting updates again, I was away for almost a month, when I got back I checked this thread for updates, read the ones that were there which came to an end on Aug 30th. I thought perhaps you had just given up posting when there was nothing new. I'm happy to see your latest update, well sort of happy because most of the CUPW announcements makes me want to throw up!
Canada Post to present new global offers in response to CUPW’s recent offers
Canada Post has informed CUPW that it will be responding to the union’s recent offers with new global offers designed to move negotiations forward. This will allow the parties to return to the table next week. Work is already under way, as the offers must be accompanied by the detailed legal contractual language, which takes time to finalize.
Effort to discuss key issues at the table
CUPW’s offers from August 20 added significant new costs and restrictions at a challenging time for the Corporation. In response, Canada Post asked CUPW to come back to the table with workable solutions that reflect the company’s current realities and provide the basis for meaningful discussions. As that has not occurred, Canada Post has decided to present new global offers with the hope that the parties can find common ground on important issues like weekend delivery.
Request to deliver Neighbourhood Mail trapped in the system
With a planned return to the table, we have asked CUPW to amend its strike action and deliver the Neighbourhood Mail currently trapped in our network. The union announced its flyer ban last Friday, saying it was forced to take this action to get the parties back to the table, which is now occurring.
This small measure would help minimize the financial impact on many customers, such as community newspapers, small businesses and charities that spent money to print flyers and trusted Canada Post to deliver them. Instead, their items have been trapped in our facilities since the union’s flyer ban took effect. Canada Post will not be accepting new Neighbourhood Mail items until it can provide greater certainty.
Canada Post to Present New Global Offers
Thursday September 18 2025
2023-2027/326
No. 138
Today, more than four weeks after CUPW presented global offers to Canada Post, we’ve finally heard back from the Employer through the Federal mediators. Canada Post admitted it was its turn to move and told us that it wanted to present new global offers for both postal bargaining units next week.
For now, we have one simple message to Canada Post: It’s about time you responded – but why do we need to wait another week?
Postal workers have already waited far too long for Canada Post to do what’s right. For nearly two years, postal workers have been working without new collective agreements.
Canada Post’s plan to dictate new terms and conditions, rather than negotiate them, has not worked.
It's our hope that Canada Post's next offers actually meet the needs of postal workers and the public.
As of now, our national unaddressed flyer ban remains in effect.
In solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President
CUPW Meets with Minister Responsible for Canada Post
Friday September 19 2025
2023-2027/327
No. 139
Today, September 19, 2025, CUPW negotiators and members of the National Executive Board had a half-hour meeting with Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, Joël Lightbound, for 30 minutes.
Minister Lightbound finally requested the meeting yesterday to hear the Union’s perspective on the current round of bargaining and the future of the public post office.
We conveyed to Minister Lightbound the need to reach ratifiable collective agreements before the busy holiday season. We noted that since Canada Post lost the forced vote, the Corporation has lost all sense of urgency, choosing instead to abandon negotiations, postal workers, and the public. We don’t know why Canada Post needs another week to prepare new global offers.
We outlined some of the key demands that members need to see in the next collective agreements: liveable wages, better working conditions, full-time jobs, proper staffing, work-life balance, and equality for RSMCs.
We introduced the Minister to some of our ideas to re-imagine the public post office with new revenue-generating services that could bring real benefits to communities across the country, big or small. The Minister refrained from commenting on our ideas and proposals.
We stressed that we are proud of the work we do, but we are concerned about the direction management is steering this important public institution.
We left our first meeting with the Minister uncertain about how he will direct Canada Post, even though. At the end of the meeting, it was clear that both sides understood the value of the public post office. We also agreed it was important to keep the lines of communication between us open.
The Union is waiting for the Corporation to return to the table as soon as possible.
In solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President
Defend the Public Post Office: Preparing for the Canada Post Corporation Review
Monday September 22 2025
2023-2027/328
In the coming months, critical decisions about the future of Canada Post are going to be made. As posted on its “Consulting with Canadians” website, the Federal Government wants to “redefine” its “vision” for Canada Post to reflect a changing “postal industry landscape”. The notice goes as far as to call into question Canada Post’s very “sustainability”.
According to the National Post, the Government is “exploring all options” to make Canada Post “efficient and financially sustainable for the long term”.
The review is scheduled for October until next March.
As of right now, we have very few details about what the review will look like, but our position is that any review of Canada Post must be fully public and transparent. Everyone deserves to have their say in the public post office’s future.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: WORKING CONDITIONS AND JOB SECURITY
This will not be the first time we will face a mandate review of Canada Post. However, as they have in the past, the recommendations the review makes could have huge impacts on our working conditions and job security, both good and bad.
In 1996, thousands of admail workers and CUPW members lost their jobs because the review recommended CPC get out of competitive services, like admail and parcels. In 2018, the Government told Canada Post to end its community mailbox conversion program.
WHAT CANADA POST WANTS: CUTBACKS
For much of the past year, Canada Post has been laying the groundwork for massive service cutbacks. The Corporation has taken every chance it can to play up its financial condition, blaming an “outdated” regulatory framework “built for a previous era”. There’s no question it will use this mandate review to push for this agenda.
Canada Post has already publicly revealed much of what it wants. In its second submission to the Industrial Inquiry Commission, Canada Post made the case for:
- Gutting the rural moratorium on post office closures
- Franchising out and closing corporate post offices
- Cutting letter mail service standards and delivery frequency
- Axing door-to-door delivery in favour of CMBs
WE MUST BE PREPARED!
The challenge we face is a big one, but that’s no reason to back down.
Instead, we need to show the Employer and the Government we’re ready to take this fight on. We need to work with our allies in labour and the community to build political pressure in support of our vision for expanded postal services.
As a first step, we’re asking members to send a letter to the Minister responsible for Canada Post, Joël Lightbound, demanding any review be thorough, transparent and public, with opportunities for public hearings in every region of the country. You can find a template letter to download or send digitally at our website.
As the review progresses, we’ll all have our part to do.
Our jobs matter. Our voices matter. Let’s make them heard!
In Solidarity,
Jan Simpson
National President
Jan Simpson needs to stop lying and misleading CUPW members!
I suspect that many if not most CUPW members rely on these announcements and never bother to read the CP statements.
