What is the Canada Post strike all about? Here's what to know about the corporation and its union

National Post

21-05-2025

Article content
'Since 2018, the Corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024,' said Canada Post in a news release on Monday. 'In early 2025, the Government of Canada announced repayable funding of up to $1.034 billion for Canada Post to prevent insolvency.'
Article content
A part-time weekend workforce and workweek efficiencies are an immediate priority for Canada Post, the IIC report stated.
Article content
Commissioner William Kaplan called the union's proposals to grow its businesses 'unrealistic,' as are its plans to duplicate services provided by other companies, such as 'introducing postal banking, seniors check-ins, establishing artisanal markets at postal stations, and transforming postal stations into community social hubs.'
Article content
'In my view,' wrote Kaplan, 'given the financial crisis, Canada Post must focus on saving its core business, not on providing new services.'
Article content
What are some of the sticking points between the union and Canada Post?
Article content
Article content
The report summarized the main sticking points between the union and Canada Post as the corporation's financial situation, its need to diversify or alter its delivery models in response to current business demands, Canada Post's viability as it is currently configured, the union's negotiated commitments to job security and full-time employment and the need to protect the health and safety of employees.
Article content
Weekend work is a major sticking point that both parties cannot seem to agree upon. The new offers from Canada Post, which are now under review, maintain the need for part-time work, which increases 'the company's delivery flexibility, especially on weekends, while ensuring that letter carriers are not required to work weekend shifts.'
Article content
However, the union insists that 'preference should be given to full-time work,' it said in its weekend full-time concept and costing report in March.
Article content
Canada Post also wants to end door-to-door delivery service, which is the first recommendation made in the IIC report, because it is a financial burden. The union says that the service is worth preserving because it meets the 'needs of the Canadian people, particularly the elderly and disabled, while community mailboxes presented accessibility and other challenges.'
Article content
As part of its latest proposals, Canada Post said it wants to implement dynamic routing, which it says is an industry standard that involves planning and optimizing delivery routes daily and 'creating more consistent, predictable service for customers.' The report stated that the union agreed it could be cost-saving. But after a failed pilot project in 2017, Canada Post said the company and union could 'not agree on many of its core components.'