Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has called for a vote on Canada Post’s latest contract offers to postal workers, hoping to break a months-long deadlock between the Crown corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
Hajdu announced the move on the social platform X on June 12, saying the Canada Industrial Relations Board will organize the vote “as soon as possible.” Canada Post submitted its final offers to CUPW on May 28.
In a post on X, Hajdu said: “After 18 months of negotiation, over 200 meetings between the parties, 33 days of strike and lockout in the fall, and ongoing strain placed on Canada’s small businesses and communities, it is in the public interest that the membership of CUPW has the opportunity to vote on Canada Post’s last offers.”
A few hours after the minister’s announcement Thursday morning, Canada Post released the following statement: “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.”
Talks between the two sides have stalled, with both rejecting the other’s terms for binding arbitration—a process Hajdu had recommended earlier as a way to resolve the dispute.
CUPW says Canada Post refused to negotiate fair rules for arbitration. The union claims the company insisted on using recommendations from the recent Industrial Inquiry Commission, which proposed big changes to postal operations. These include more flexible delivery routes and adding part-time weekend positions with similar pay and benefits.
“Canada Post made it clear it is not serious about meaningful arbitration as requested by Minister Hajdu,” said CUPW National President Jan Simpson. “The employer refuses to engage in any real discussion.”
Simpson also accused the company of trying to avoid proper negotiations by going directly to the government to push its proposals.
Canada Post, however, says the union is being unreasonable by refusing to include the commission’s recommendations. “The union’s refusal to recognize the IIC report and its recommendations in their proposed terms of reference for arbitration is unacceptable,” said spokesperson Lisa Liu in a statement reported by the National Post.
Minister Hajdu has urged both sides to return to the table with federal mediators. “Arbitration is not the preferred path to an agreement for either side,” she said earlier. “Canadians expect the parties to resolve this dispute one way or another.”
The conflict grew more tense recently when Canada Post rejected CUPW’s call for binding arbitration and instead asked the government to hold a vote on its final offers. CUPW argues that putting the offer to a vote could make the situation worse and drag out the uncertainty. The union points to past examples where arbitration had to be used after similar moves.
Canada Post says arbitration would be long, expensive and complex. It also points to growing financial pressure. The company reported a loss of $841 million in 2024, with $208 million linked to labour disruptions. Parcel deliveries are down nearly two-thirds from last year.
Meanwhile, CUPW continues to enforce a national overtime ban as the dispute drags on.