Note pour la période des questions : NÉGOCIATIONS COLLECTIVES ENTRE LA SOCIÉTÉ CANADIENNE DES POSTES (POSTES CANADA) ET LE SYNDICAT DES TRAVAILLEURS ET TRAVAILLEUSES DES POSTES (STTP) – UNITÉ DE L’EXPLOITATION POSTALE URBAINE ET UNITÉ DES FACTRICES ET FACTEURS RURAUX ET SUBURBAINS

Current status of the collective bargaining negotiations between Canada Post and CUPW

Depuis près de deux ans, les parties sont engagés dans des négociations pour le renouvellement de leurs conventions collectives, avec le soutien de médiateurs fédéraux depuis plus d’un an.

Malgré ces efforts, aucune entente n'a été conclue concernant les modalités des nouvelles conventions collectives et des grèves rotatives sont en cours.

Les Canadiens ont été touchés par les arrêts de travail et s'attendent à ce qu'une solution soit trouvée pour régler ce conflit. Dans ces circonstances, il est essentiel que les parties poursuivent leurs efforts en vue d’une entente négociée.

The Canada Post Corporation (hereafter the “employer” or “Canada Post”) is a Crown corporation serving as the primary postal operator in Canada.

Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (hereafter the “union” or “CUPW”) are negotiating the renewal of two collective agreements, covering approximately 42,000 employees in urban operations and 10,900 employees responsible for delivering mail to rural and suburban routes.

On November 9, 2023, the union served a notice to bargain to the employer for each bargaining unit. The parties then met more than 120 times between November 15, 2023, and August 2, 2024, but were unable to reach an agreement.

Two conciliation officers were appointed on August 13, 2024. Following the conclusion of the conciliation period, two mediators were appointed on October 15, 2024. A special mediator was also appointed on November 14, 2024. Over 60 additional days of meetings were held. However, no agreement was reached.

On September 12, 2024, the parties reached agreements on the maintenance of activities in the event of a strike or lockout. These agreements ensure the processing and delivery of certain government social assistance cheques and the safety of live animals during any work stoppages.

Both CUPW bargaining units began an unlimited nationwide strike on November 15, 2024. The strikes impacted millions of Canadians, both businesses and individuals, and further damaged the financial viability of Canada Post. Bargaining continued during the work stoppage, but the parties were ultimately deemed to be too far apart. With little prospect of a negotiated settlement and increasing damage to a fragile relationship, mediated negotiations were temporarily suspended on November 27, 2024.

On December 13, 2024, the previous Minister of Labour referred the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) under section 107 of the Canada Labour Code (Code). The CIRB subsequently ordered an end to the work stoppage and extended the collective agreements until May 22, 2025. On December 16, 2024, the previous minister also appointed William Kaplan as Industrial Inquiry Commissioner under section 108 of the Code with a mandate to examine, in close consultation with Canada Post and CUPW, the issues in dispute and produce recommendations for their resolution. Commissioner Kaplan was directed to examine the parties’ bargaining positions as well as the underlying causes of the dispute. In carrying out his mandate, Commissioner Kaplan held hearings with the parties - these were publicly accessible via webcast and were well attended. He also invited input from interested stakeholders and the public more broadly and received more than 800 submissions.

On April 27, 2025, the parties informed federal mediators that they wished to return to the bargaining table. Three days of mediated discussions were held on April 30, May 1st and 2nd 2025. While little substantive movement was achieved, exchanges between the parties were positive and mediators assessed that there was sufficient basis for continued discussion. Further meetings took place on May 8, 9, 12-14, 21, 22, 25, 27 and 28, 2025.

The Commissioner filed his report on May 15, 2025, and the Minister immediately shared a copy with the parties. The parties re-acquired the rights to strike/lockout after the expiration of the collective agreements, which were extended until May 22, 2025.

On May 21, 2025, the employer presented global offers to the union for both bargaining units.

On May 23, 2025, at 00:01 a.m. local time, the union initiated a nationwide overtime ban.

On May 28, 2025, the employer presented final offers to the union for both bargaining units.

On May 30, 2025, the employer submitted a request to the Minister, pursuant to section 108.1 of the Code, asking her to order the CIRB to administer a vote among the members of both bargaining units on its final offers.

On May 31, 2025, CUPW proposed to the employer that all outstanding issues be submitted to binding arbitration. This proposal was rejected by Canada Post the following day.

On June 4, 2025, the Minister called on both parties to return to the bargaining table with federal mediators in an effort to negotiate the terms for an arbitration process to resolve their dispute and to have the union present its response to the employer’s last global offers.

On June 12, 2025, the Minister ordered that a vote be held on Canada Post’s final offers among the employees of both bargaining units, in accordance with subsection 108.1(1) of the Code, and assigned the CIRB the responsibility of conducting these votes. On July 16, 2025, the CIRB provided the parties with a notice of vote, instructing union members to vote on the employer’s final offers presented on May 28, 2025. The votes were held from July 21 to August 1, 2025. On August 1, 2025, the CIRB announced that union members had voted 68.5% (urban unit) and 69.4% (rural and suburban mail carriers unit) against the employer's final offers.

On September 15, 2025, at 00:01 (EST), the union escalated its job action from an overtime ban to the cessation of commercial flyer delivery.

On September 25, 2025, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, announced that the Government would be implementing a number of the measures outlined in Commissioner Kaplan’s report. These measures are aimed at addressing Canada Post’s financial challenges and they include:

• lifting the moratorium on community mailbox conversions;

• ending the 1994 moratorium on rural post office closures;

• giving Canada Post flexibility on letter mail delivery standards; and

• reviewing the process for increasing the stamp rate.

Minister Lightbound also directed the Corporation to immediately review its structure with a view to identifying efficiencies and reducing costs.

In response to the government’s announcement, the union declared on the same day that its members would begin a nationwide strike effective immediately.

On October 3, 2025, Canada Post tabled revised offers for both the urban and the rural/suburban units. 

On October 11, 2025, at 6 a.m. local time, the union moved from nationwide strike action to rotating strikes.

The parties have agreed to resume discussions and met on October 30, 2025. At their request, federal mediators facilitated the meeting.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates is currently studying the situation at Canada Post.

Postes Canada et le STTP négocient le renouvellement de deux conventions collectives visant environ 42 000 employés des opérations urbaines et 10 900 facteurs desservant les zones rurales et suburbaines. Malgré plus de 120 rencontres entre novembre 2023 et août 2024, aucun accord n’a été conclu.

Des médiateurs fédéraux ont été nommés le 13 août 2024, suivis d’un médiateur spécial le 14 novembre 2024. De nombreuses séances de médiation ont eu lieu, mais les parties sont restées dans une impasse.

Les deux unités de négociation du STTP ont déclenché une grève nationale illimitée le 15 novembre 2024.

Le 13 décembre 2024, le ministre du Travail précédent a procédé à un renvoi au Conseil canadien des relations industrielles (CCRI) en vertu de l’article 107 du Code canadien du travail (Code). Le CCRI a ordonné la reprise du travail et prolongé les conventions collectives existantes jusqu’au 22 mai 2025.

Le 16 décembre 2024, un commissaire à l’enquête sur les relations de travail a été nommé en vertu de l’article 108 du Code pour examiner le différend et formuler des recommandations. Son rapport a été déposé le 15 mai 2025 et a immédiatement été transmis aux parties.

Le STTP a instauré une interdiction de travailler des heures supplémentaires le 23 mai 2025.

Postes Canada a présenté des offres finales le 28 mai 2025 et a demandé le 30 mai à la ministre d’ordonner au CCRI de tenir un vote sur ces offres. Le STTP a proposé le 31 mai de soumettre les questions en litige à l’arbitrage obligatoire, proposition rejetée par Postes Canada.

Le 12 juin 2025, la ministre a ordonné la tenue d’un vote sur les offres finales. Le 1er août 2025, le CCRI a annoncé que les membres du STTP avaient rejeté ces offres.

Le 15 septembre 2025, le syndicat a intensifié ses moyens de pression, passant de l’interdiction des heures supplémentaires à la cessation de la distribution des circulaires commerciales.

Le 25 septembre 2025, le ministre de la Transformation gouvernementale, des Travaux publics et de l’Approvisionnement a annoncé que le gouvernement mettrait en œuvre plusieurs des mesures énoncées dans le rapport de la Commission d’enquête industrielle. Le même jour, le syndicat a déclaré que ses membres entameraient une grève nationale avec effet immédiat.

Le 3 octobre 2025, Postes Canada a présenté des offres révisées pour l’unité urbaine et l’unité rurale/suburbaine.

Le 11 octobre 2025, le syndicat est passé d’une grève nationale à des grèves rotatives.

Les parties ont convenu de reprendre les discussions et se sont rencontrées le 30 octobre 2025. À leur demande, des médiateurs fédéraux ont facilité la rencontre.