Canada Post says the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) needs to “align with the company’s realities,” and that the union’s offers in ongoing labour talks are both “unaffordable” and pose a “substantial” gap between the two sides.
In an emailed statement sent Wednesday evening, Canada Post said it had met with the union earlier that day.
“After many months of difficult negotiations and mounting losses, the Corporation was looking for workable solutions to be brought to the table that would get the parties closer to a resolution and end the uncertainty for employees and customers,” said Canada Post.
“Unfortunately, CUPW has either maintained or hardened its position on many items and added new demands, and the gap between the parties remains substantial.”
Canada Post continued: “After carefully reviewing CUPW’s comprehensive offers over the past few days, the Corporation today urged the union to revisit its offers to align with the realities confronting the company. We remain open to reviewing and discussing amended proposals.”
In a separate statement, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers rejected Canada Post’s comments, and maintains its response to the company’s offers is comprehensive and benefits both sides.
“Canada Post’s latest comments show once again that the Corporation is not serious about bargaining in good faith. Even after losing the forced vote, management has refused to move from its so-called ‘final offers’ of May 28, 2025, and has failed to provide any meaningful response to the comprehensive proposals CUPW submitted on August 20,” the union said in an emailed statement to Global News.
“Instead, Canada Post continues to demand concessions from postal workers while ignoring solutions that would improve service, protect jobs, and secure the future of the postal service for all Canadians.”
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The union continued: “Postal workers have been clear: we are not at the table to accept rollbacks. We are committed to achieving fair agreements that respect postal workers and deliver for the public. CUPW calls on Canada Post to stop misrepresenting negotiations and to engage seriously with our proposals at the bargaining table.”
With the aid of a federal mediator, the two sides have met several times in the most recent round of negotiations since union members rejected Canada Post’s “latest and final offers” tabled in May 2025.
Earlier this week, the company released its latest quarterly earnings results, which painted a dim picture showing some of the steepest losses to date. According to Canada Post, the second quarter of 2025 (April through June) saw a before-tax loss of $407 million, which was the worst for any quarter to date.
Canada Post said one of the factors was the labour disruptions, including the ongoing overtime ban for the union’s members, which limits some deliveries.
With the on-and-off negotiations and labour disruptions, many Canadian businesses have looked to alternative carriers, which Canada Post noted as being the primary reason for a drop in revenue during the second quarter.
At the negotiations on Aug. 27, Canada Post said the union proposed items that would add to the company’s costs.
“Several proposed items would increase the Corporation’s operational costs. While the union’s offers included some part-time employee component to address weekend delivery, CUPW’s proposed approach remains unaffordable, problematic and complex to manage,” said Canada Post in its statement.
Although CUPW members are still imposing an overtime ban, a full strike similar to what was seen in November of 2024 has not been ruled out by either side as a possible outcome of the current negotiations.
When the Canada Industrial Relations Board approved a request to force an end to the strike by then-labour minister Steven MacKinnon, an analysis was launched by the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC).
The IIC found Canada Post was “facing an existential crisis: It is effectively insolvent, or bankrupt.”
The commission also included suggestions to help the company become profitable and competitive again, such as ending some individual address deliveries and expanding community mailboxes, as well as ending daily deliveries.
“Both parties (Canada Post and the CUPW) need to agree on an approach that addresses the Corporation’s challenges, supports its people, and starts to secure the company for employees and customers,” said Canada Post in its statement.
“We are ready to make Canada Post an organization that better meets the needs of all Canadians, while building a financially sustainable future for the company. At the Industrial Inquiry Commission, Canada Post shared urgent changes needed to help put the organization on a solid path for future success.”
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