Strike Actions??: 1) Canada Post workers vote to reject latest contract offer; 2)Canada Post’s contract standoff leaves future in limbo; 3) Air Canada flight attendants vote in favour of strike mandate

1) Canada Post workers vote to reject latest contract offer

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Canadian Press Staff, August 1, 2025

Unionized workers at Canada Post have voted to reject the Crown corporation’s latest contract offer.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Friday that 68.5 per cent of urban mail carriers who voted were against the deal, while their rural and suburban colleagues were 69.4 per cent against.

The offer included wage hikes of about 13 per cent over four years but also added part-time workers that Canada Post has said are necessary to keep the postal service afloat.

The union had urged the roughly 55,000 postal service workers it represents to reject the proposal.

“It’s time for Canada Post to come back to the bargaining table and start seriously negotiating,” it said in a bulletin. 

“With these votes behind us, Canada Post must now recognize that the only way forward is to negotiate ratifiable collective agreements that meet postal workers’ needs.”

A national overtime ban for members remains in effect.

Canada Post had said the offer reflected the company’s “current realities while protecting items that are important to employees” and accounting for “needed changes to help begin to rebuild the company’s parcel business.”

The Crown corporation has previously said its operating losses amounted to $10 million a day in June.

“While we are disappointed in the results, we want to thank employees for participating in the process,” the postal service said in a statement on Friday, adding that it’s evaluating next steps. 

The vote, which opened July 21, was administered by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which stepped in earlier this year after federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu intervened in the labour dispute.

Hajdu said Friday that after 18 months of negotiations, “it was important for workers’ voices to be heard.”

“Federal mediators have supported parties since August 2024 and will remain available to assist the parties until they reach a deal,” Hajdu said in a statement. 

“The government is monitoring this situation closely and expects the parties to reach a resolution as soon as possible.”

Canada Post and the union have been at odds with one another for more than a year and a half.

Last holiday season, postal workers went on strike, leaving mail and parcels undelivered and many post offices closed.

They returned to work the week before Christmas, when the labour minister established a process with the Canada Industrial Relations Board to assess the likelihood of Canada Post and the union reaching an agreement by the end of 2024.

The board, led by Commissioner William Kaplan, eventually found that Canada Post was essentially bankrupt.

The board’s final report tabled in May showed Kaplan recommended an end to daily door-to-door mail delivery and an expansion of community mailboxes, among other measures to keep the postal service in business.

He also endorsed Canada Post’s model for adding part-time mail workers — one sticking point in negotiations — and largely blamed the stalled negotiations on CUPW defending “business as usual.”

Dan Kelly, the president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, called Friday’s results “extremely disappointing.”

“This just brings more uncertainty at a time when small businesses are already struggling to plan ahead,” Kelly said in a statement. 

“We can’t keep doing this. If there’s another strike, two in three businesses may walk away from Canada Post permanently.”

Kelly called on the federal government to extend the current agreement for the “foreseeable future” to prevent another strike from happening.

2) Canada Post’s contract standoff leaves future in limbo

Leave a Comment / News / By Polly Ticks, Courtesy of Barrie Daily

Canada Post’s labour dispute took a sharp turn when workers delivered a firm “no” to management’s so-called final offer, leaving the future of mail delivery unsettled and the bargaining table once again the centre of the storm.

Roughly 55,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have refused the latest contract proposed by Canada Post, a move that has sent shockwaves through the nation’s postal sector. The federal government’s push for a forced vote, orchestrated by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, ended in a double-digit rejection—over two-thirds of both urban and rural members voted down the proposal, which included wage increases and an increase in part-time roles. The result, while clear, wasn’t unanimous, hinting at divisions within the workforce that complicate the next steps.

Negotiations have dragged on for more than 18 months, with last winter’s threatened strike halted by Ottawa’s intervention. Jobs minister Patty Hajdu attempted to steer both parties towards binding arbitration, but management resisted, wary of delays and uncertain outcomes. CUPW has signalled a willingness to return to the bargaining table, while a national overtime ban continues to quietly strain operations.

Adam King, assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, labelled the forced vote “a distraction,” arguing that true compromise still lies at the bargaining table. Meanwhile, Brock University’s Larry Savage pointed out that only a divided union stands in the way of a strike, yet doubts whether work stoppages would yield lasting gains. “Management’s forced final vote was a gamble and it blew up in their faces, but they still hold cards,” Savage observed.

Canada Post, already facing daily losses as customers drift to competitors, finds itself caught between union demands and a bleak financial reality. According to a federal commission report, the Crown corporation teeters on the edge of insolvency, with sweeping reforms on the horizon—possibly fewer daily deliveries or expanded community boxes. The question now is less about which side gains an edge and more about the long-term survival of both the postal service and its workforce. For now, both sides brace for another round at the negotiating table, with the fate of Canada Post—and millions of letters—hanging in the balance.

References: Canada Post workers rejected ‘final’ contract offers. What happens next?

3) Air Canada flight attendants vote in favour of strike mandate

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Canadian Press Staff, August 6, 2025

Air Canada flight attendants have voted to give their union a strike mandate.

The Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees says members voted 99.7 per cent in favour.

The mandate does not mean that a strike is guaranteed, only that union members support the measure if the bargaining team decides to call for a work stoppage.

The vote kicked off July 28 and finished earlier Tuesday, after the airline and union concluded the conciliation process without reaching a deal.

The two sides have been in contract talks since the start of the year.

The union, which represents around 10,000 flight attendants, has pointed to key outstanding issues including pay, pensions and unpaid work such as pre-flight safety checks. 

“The company would rather drag their feet than negotiate on the things that matter to our members,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the union’s Air Canada component, in a statement.

“Now, flight attendants have had a chance to weigh in and tell the company it’s time to get serious about negotiating.”

The airline said it remains committed to the bargaining process and is “eager” to resume discussions.

“Air Canada is determined to reach a fair and equitable collective agreement that recognizes the contributions of its Flight Attendants and supports the competitiveness and long-term growth of the company,” it said in a statement on its website.

The airline has cautioned that the vote does not mean a disruption will happen, and noted a potential strike can’t take place until after a 21-day cooling-off period that followed the 60-day conciliation period.

It said Tuesday that it believes there is “more than enough time” to reach an agreement.

The cooling-off period would end Aug. 16 at 12:01 a.m. ET, which is the earliest the union can go on strike.