I will post here what Canada Post & Postal Union positions are.

[skylarstuff]

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

[ypdc_dennis]

May 30: 

Canada Post has asked the Minister of Jobs and Families to exercise her authority, under section 108.1 of the Canada Labour Code, to direct that a vote take place, administered by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), on the final offers submitted by Canada Post to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) on May 28, 2025.

[reallynicestamps]

1965-2005: Canada Post participates in 19 strikes, lockouts, and walkouts. Workers are legislated back to work in 1987, 1991, and again in 1997.

Lies **bleep** lies and statistics.

The 1965-2005 timeframe is misleading.

Forty years is a loooong time.

There were many strikes in the 1960s and 1970s.

• This was a period of great social change. One that is overlooked by youngsters is that the management of the Royal Mail was recruited from the officer ranks of returning soldiers, while the workers were either lower ranks or Baby Boomers.

The Royal Mail became Canada Post in 1967.

Canada Post changed from a government department to a crown corporation in 1981.

There were no strikes from 1981 to 1987

There  were no strikes in the 1990s but there was a general public service strike in 1991

From then to 2011 there are no job actions.

• The biggest change in the 21st century has been the internet, which replaced the lettermail component with online billing but which increased parcel traffic to pre-WWI percentages. (Until WWI the mail carried mostly packages. )

There have been three strikes since 2011.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi. You really do like your postage! If you want to fact check me Ill frwd you the source. Very reliable. I witnessed all of those disruptions as well. As a point of interest i used to order my boxes and boxes of fireworks and firecrackers through Canada Post. Isnt it great to be older than dirt! Thanks for your input. The facts stand although its the point that matters.

[fergua3]

it's about time there was a new vote by the workers.  The union bosses have way overstepped their authority imo.  While they technically have a mandate from last year, so much has happened, so much time has passed  and so many new offers have been made that it is time to update that authority with a vote.  To do otherwise is dictatorial and self serving by the union leaders.

[needsmorerobots]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

1965-2005: Canada Post participates in 19 strikes, lockouts, and walkouts. Workers are legislated back to work in 1987, 1991, and again in 1997.

Lies **bleep** lies and statistics.

The 1965-2005 timeframe is misleading.

Forty years is a loooong time.

There were many strikes in the 1960s and 1970s.

There have been three strikes since 2011.

---

Agreed.

There was a postal strike in 1975, a rotating strike in 1970 and a strike even as far back as 1965. That's just to name a few.

[dinomitesales]

Statement: CUPW Invites Canada Post to Fair, Final and Binding Arbitration

Saturday May 31 2025

CUPW strongly believes that the Canada Post requested government-imposed vote on Canada Post’s last global offers will not bring labour relations peace to these parties for the foreseeable future, notwithstanding the outcome of a forced vote. Once again, this would be another unwarranted government intervention in the free collective bargaining process.

In order to bring certainty to customers and Canadian Businesses and in light of the very particular circumstances surrounding the last improper government intervention in December 2024, we are inviting Canada Post to fair, final and binding arbitration to resolve all outstanding issues at the bargaining table for both bargaining units. At this time and in these circumstances, only arbitration can end the ongoing labour dispute fairly and expeditiously.

A forced vote will not necessarily terminate the labour dispute, which should be the objective of Canada Post, which has expressed concerns about the severe impact of the labour dispute on it’s business. We believe the Minister has the same objective in bringing labour peace to all Canadians.

In every other bargaining relationship where the government has interfered with the right to strike as it did in 2024 with Postal Workers, the government has imposed fair and binding arbitration to resolve bargaining differences as required by the Law. During the arbitration process, the employees cannot strike, and the employer cannot lock-out the employees which is not the case in respect of the conduct of a forced vote. Moreover, if the Employer’s last offers are rejected by the employees, the dispute continues arguably dividing the parties further and bringing more harm to Canadians.

[skylarstuff]

So if Arbitration is on, there can be no strike.  Also, if the employees vote in favour of the offer of Canada Post, there will be no strike.  How does everyone now feel about, reopening their store?

[fergua3]

the union wants  arbitration?  Wow that's a big change.  They have been rejecting arbitration for 2 years.   I'm sure CP will accept and Canada can put all this **bleep** behind us.  Until next time....

[mrdutch1001]

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/So-when-will-you-re-open-your-store-What-do-you-think-is...

[flipistics]

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@fergua3 wrote:

the union wants  arbitration?  Wow that's a big change.  They have been rejecting arbitration for 2 years.   I'm sure CP will accept and Canada can put all this **bleep** behind us.  Until next time....

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That's a fascinating turn of events.

[dinomitesales]

Canada Post has rejected the offer for arbitration.

————————-

Statement: Canada Post Refuses CUPW Request for Arbitration

Sunday June 1 2025

Canada Post Corporation (CPC) has refused the Canadian Union of Postal Workers' (CUPW) formal request to resolve all outstanding issues through fair, final, and binding arbitration for both bargaining units. CUPW strongly believes that CPC’s pursuit of a government-imposed vote on its last global offers will not bring lasting labour peace between the parties, regardless of the vote’s outcome.

This refusal constitutes yet another demonstration that CPC is not interested in a reasonable outcome to this round of negotiation. A forced vote may fail to end the labour conflict and risks further division, prolonging uncertainty for all parties. Arbitration would end the labour dispute immediately and create certainty for all Canadians.

[intimewithmusic]

Good for them. Hopefully they can end the cycle of chaos and restructure or turn it over to the private sector. The 3 billion plus hemmoraged already would do far better for health care, hospitals, crime prevention etc than it is wasted on unions and obsolete services. No more subsidies!

[cottagewoman]

CP must know something CUPW doesn't regarding how a forced vote would turn out. I'm sick of this - am trying to build up my .CA store as I had to open a new one, but have had 0 sales since I don't want to take a chance having US bound shipments getting stuck at any point and eBay dropping delay notices everywhere for Canadian customers. Thank God .com store is OK with CBP calming down a bit.

[ypdc_dennis]

June 1:  Canada Post turns down binding arbitration using CUPW's reasons from last year.

After 18 months of challenging negotiations with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Canada Post is seeking a timely and fair resolution to restore stability to the postal system while ensuring employees have a voice in the process by allowing them to vote.

The union’s proposal to send the matter to binding arbitration would do the opposite.

Arbitration would be long and complicated, likely lasting more than a year. This would further extend the uncertainty experienced over the last 18 months and accelerate the company’s significant financial challenges. It would also continue to leave employees without a contract – and strip them of their right to vote on a new collective agreement.

For these reasons and more, CUPW has strongly rejected binding arbitration in the past.

In a bulletin to members on October 30, 2024, CUPW President Jan Simpson wrote: “It’s evident that Canada Post is focused on pushing many of their issues to binding arbitration. This approach would delay the finalization of a complete collective agreement and redirect funds towards lawyers and arbitrators rather than investing in you.”

The Industrial Inquiry Commission has stated that “Canada Post is facing an existential crisis: It is effectively insolvent, or bankrupt. Without thoughtful, measured, staged, but immediate changes, its fiscal situation will continue to deteriorate.”

A timely resolution to negotiations that begins to address these challenges without delay, while respecting the important role employees play by allowing them to vote on the company’s future path, is the way forward.

Canada Post therefore rejects the union’s proposal and awaits a decision from the Minister of Jobs and Families on our request for the Canada Industrial Relations Board to administer a directed employee vote on our final offer.

Source: Canada post website

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@cottagewoman wrote:
CP must know something CUPW doesn't regarding how a forced vote would turn out. I'm sick of this - am trying to build up my .CA store as I had to open a new one, but have had 0 sales since I don't want to take a chance having US bound shipments getting stuck at any point and eBay dropping delay notices everywhere for Canadian customers. Thank God .com store is OK with CBP calming down a bit.

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I'm with you on this. I spent my day doing 30 listings (albeit a bit frustrating with the delays loading pictures, I think most of the time it's OK though), and trying to work on my .ca store, but as I ship coins and stamps with Canada Post, I don't want packages being stuck. I also have low FB on this store so people don't quite trust me yet, on my dot com store I have lots of FB and lots of items, so having blocked Canada there and applying Stallion prices to anything that would go Canada Post, I have solved my problem enough to keep taking orders and shipping.

C.

[intimewithmusic]

Absolutely. What CP knows is that it's broke. By requesting arbitration the union is gambling that the arbitrator will increase CPs final offer. It cant. Nothing from nothing is nothing. Hopefully this time CP will be given the opportunity to retool. I recommend those who use lettermail for freight modify their business model to use shipping services recommended by C P that generate a profit. If the union again blocks modernization this decades long cycle will just repeat. Another option is Carney can put it to a referendum to stop this uncertainty and Canadians can decide if they will continue subsidizing obselete services like lettermail. At least then the losses will be more transparent. @cottagewomen Here's a recent review of just how bad CPs insolvency is. So far saved over and over as a Crown Corp. It should have gone go on the block long before Hudsons Bay.
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/first-reading-heres-just-how-much-money-canada-post-is-hemorrhaging....

[cottagewoman]

Spokesperson for CP said at the end of an interview on CTV that if the minister agrees to force an employee vote it could take weeks if not months. Good lord, more limbo. Will CPUW strike? Will CP lock out?

[recped]

Lettermail is NOT an "obsolete service". Changes to the way the service is delivered are needed.

[fergua3]

Lettermail is a service of declined use but is hardly obsolete and never will be.  Many important things still come through letermail and many small businesses rely on inexpensive lettermail.  It merely needs to be adapted, not done away with.

[fergua3]

i am disappointed and surprised by CP's rejection of arbitration.  Arbitraion while a lengthy process increases CP stability since there can be no strike or lockout while arbitration is underway so Canadians can rely on the postal system once again.

The uncertainty if a vote will be forced or even if it is if the union will vote in favour only makes the current uncertain situation continue with the real possibility of a full strike or lockout a real and immenent possibilty.