OTTAWA – The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has ordered postal employees to return to work after federal Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon asked the board to intervene.
On Dec. 13 MacKinnon established a process with CIRB to assess the likelihood of Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) reaching agreements by the end of 2024.
“We’re calling a timeout,” said MacKinnon.
“Canadians cannot continue to bear the consequences of this impasse. Our priority is to restore postal services while ensuring a fair balance between the rights of workers, those of the employer, but also those of Canadians.
“While this provides a temporary solution, the government’s priority is to get the parties back on track to resolve the dispute and reach agreements.”
In response, a CIRB hearing was held over the weekend, with differing reactions on the outcome.
“After two days of hearings, the CIRB has issued its ruling confirming the parties are at an impasse,” stated Canada Post officials.
“As a result, the CIRB has ordered employees to return to work and postal operations to begin to resume at 8am local time on Dec. 17, 2024.”
The strike began on Nov. 15 and saw 55,000 postal workers walk off the job.
It will effectively be on pause as both parties participate in an industrial inquiry commission. The commission will be led by veteran arbitrator William Kaplan and have until May 22 to reach a final contract agreement.
“We look forward to welcoming our employees back to work and serving the millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on our services,” stated Canada Post.
Employees will work under their current contract, which expired almost a year ago, until a final decision has been made.
The union, which has seen workers picketing outside of Canada Post locations for nearly a month, shared their disapproval of the decision.
“We denounce in the strongest terms this assault on our constitutionally protected right to free and fair collective bargain and our right to strike,” CUPW officials stated in a Dec. 13 press release.
“This order continues a deeply troubling pattern in which successive federal governments have used back-to-work legislation or, in this case, its arbitrary powers to let employers off the hook from bargaining in good faith.”
CUPW claimed its latest offer was “sat on” for five days with no response and questioned why the government has chosen to act now.
“Once again, the government has chosen capital over workers by taking away our leverage to get a good deal,” said CUPW.
“We are going to continue to fight hard to get good negotiated collective agreements for our 55,000 members. We will continue to fight for fair wages, safe working conditions and to retire with dignity.”
Both parties will continue to seek a final agreement in the coming months.
Postal services were to resume on Dec. 17, but delays should be expected.
