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Canada Post Workers Refuse Overtime as Strike Deadline Passes Without Agreement

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has implemented an overtime ban while continuing to review Canada Post's latest contract offer, with no resolution reached before the midnight strike deadline.

CUPW members wave to honking trucks as they strike along Penn Road in front of the mail sorting facility last November. A second strike was averted, perhaps temporarily, Thursday, May 22, 2025.
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) walk the picket line in front of the post office at Fifth Avenue and Quebec Street, joining the 55,000 postal workers that went on a nationwide strike on Friday, November 15, 2024.
Canada Post employees and supporters rally at Canada Post headquarters in Ottawa, on Nov. 28, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
A Canada Post mailbox sits under water near the flooded banks of the Ottawa River in Cumberland, Ontario on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Overview

  • The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), representing 55,000 employees, has instructed members to refuse overtime work starting at midnight after contract negotiations stalled.
  • Canada Post’s latest offer includes a 13.59% wage increase over four years, six additional personal days, and benefits for part-time workers, but the union says the offer falls short, particularly on wages and cost-of-living adjustments.
  • Key sticking points include Canada Post’s push for part-time weekend staffing and dynamic routing, which the union opposes in favor of full-time positions and clearer operational rules.
  • Canada Post has reported declining mail volumes and financial losses exceeding $3 billion since 2018, with a federal loan of $1.034 billion secured for 2025–26 to maintain operations.
  • Small businesses, anticipating service disruptions, are shifting to alternative delivery providers, though some warn of higher costs and limited options for reaching remote areas.