
Canada Post reaches deal with second-largest union, negotiations continue with CUPW
The Crown corporation says the new collective agreement with the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association comes after 18 months of negotiations, the same span of time it's been in talks with CUPW.
The postal service says the agreement with the CPAA covers about 8,500 employees, who mostly manage post offices in rural Canada.
It says the new agreement includes an 11 per cent wage increase over three years, retroactive to the start of 2024, including a six per cent increase in the first year, three per cent for 2025 and two per cent in 2026.
In a negotiation update on its website, the CPAA said it made 'significant advancements' in many areas of the collective agreement, which also include a bump in leasing allowances, Truth and Reconciliation Day added as a designated holiday and a childcare fund created.
Canada Post is still trying to reach a deal with CUPW, its largest union representing about 55,000 postal workers.
Updates last week from the two sides indicated they were struggling to make progress on talks, while the union remains in a legal strike position with all members under an overtime ban since May 23.
In announcing the deal with the CPAA, Canada Post said the arbitrator between the two said a recent report on the state of Canada's postal service had an impact on the negotiations.
Canada Post spokeswoman Lisa Liu said last week that CUPW has effectively refused to take heed of the federally commissioned report that called for major reforms to the 158-year-old institution, including more flexible routes and part-time weekend positions with similar pay rates and benefits.
The union said last week that Canada Post is refusing to meet it 'halfway' on arbitration, with talks stalled and the two sides still far apart.
Given the impasse, the federal government intervened last week to force unionized Canada Post workers to vote directly on the latest offers from the postal service, though no date has been set.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025.

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Hamilton Spectator
15 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
As Canada Post workers reject Crown corporation's final offer, next steps are unclear with both sides urged to return to bargaining
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But it all depends, said U of T professor Rafael Gomez, on whether the government gives a clear signal of whether it wants the Crown corporation to implement the restructuring recommended by veteran mediator William Kaplan in May. 'The government really needs to signal to both sides what it wants to do with the Kaplan report,' said Gomez, director of U of T's Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources. Kaplan's report, combined with rejection of the 'final' offer, means Canada Post management has a more free hand to cut costs than it did, said Gomez. 'What actions can Canada Post take on their own that don't require the government changing its official mandate? They probably now have a mandate to do it if they want to,' said Gomez. The 'final' offer vote, argued Brock University labour studies professor Larry Savage, prolonged the dispute without bringing it any closer to a resolution. 'The vote turned out to be major distraction. 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The union has repeatedly criticized the Crown corporation, saying it was trying to avoid a negotiated settlement . The report was done as part of an Industrial Inquiry Commission ordered in December by then-labour minister Steven MacKinnon, ending a month-long strike which began last November. Kaplan also said there's an impasse in bargaining, suggested arbitration wouldn't be a good choice to deal with Canada Post's need for restructuring, and said a 'final' offer would be the third option for an end to the dispute. Kaplan's May 15 report suggested the use of community mailboxes, the elimination of home delivery except for parcels, and getting rid of some post office locations and replacing them with franchises. Kaplan also suggested expanding parcel delivery to seven days a week, with the use of part-time and temporary employees. CUPW members have been in a legal strike position since May 23, but their strike action has so far been limited to a ban on overtime work. CUPW actively encouraged its members to vote against the offer. The Crown corporation has repeatedly insisted that it needs substantial restructuring, and has said it lost $10 million per day in June, calling those losses 'unsustainable.' The association representing Canada's small businesses pleaded with the federal government to extend CUPW's previous contract to avoid another work stoppage. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, small businesses lost between $75 million and $100 million per day during last year's strike. 'This just brings more uncertainty at a time when small businesses are already struggling to plan ahead. We can't keep doing this,' said CFIB president Dan Kelly. A member survey by CFIB last month found that another strike could lead up to two thirds of businesses to ditch Canada Post for good.
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Canada Post workers reject ‘final' contract offers after vote
Canada Post workers rejected the Crown corporation's latest contract offers Friday after a two-week vote put directly to union members, further delaying a resolution in the longstanding labour dispute.
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In the news today: Canada hit with 35 per cent tariffs
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