Canada Post, CUPW Almost Agree to 30-day ‘Cooling-Off’ Period

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Canada Post and Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which represents over 50,000 Canadian postal workers, have almost reached an agreement on Friday to implement a 30-day “cooling-off” period accompanied by intense negotiations in an effort to avoid a lock-out or strike action. Both parties were seemingly refusing to budge on key contract issues and work stoppage seemed imminent. Canada Post even threatened to lock out its workers as early as Monday.

A statement issued by the CUPW on Friday morning asked for reprieve and highlighted that “our members, their families and all Canadians do not deserve to have this threat of a lockout ‘looming’ over our heads from a profitable public service.” The national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Mike Palecek, explained that “postal workers want to work and people need to know that it’s safe to use the mail system.” The union promised that it will engage in “intensive negotiations” with Canada Post during the cooling-off period. Moreover, it offered to drop a labour practices complaint filed against the Crown Corporation two days ago as a sign of “good faith.”

Canada Post agreed in the afternoon and responded that “we are fully prepared to negotiate intensively for the next 30 days under an extended ‘cooling off period’ to reach negotiated settlements.” The statement added that “however, if the parties are unable to successfully conclude negotiations within that period, both parties must agree to binding arbitration.” Until now, it’s unclear if the union will accept that condition.