Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon announced he has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order approximately 55,000 striking Canada Post employees to go back to work.
“I’m here today to announce that I’m bringing forward a solution to promote conditions conducive to resolving this labour dispute and thus protect the interests of all Canadians,” MacKinnon said during a Dec. 13 press conference.
Canada Post employees have been ordered to resume work and continue their operations, with their existing collective agreement being extended until May 22, 2025, MacKinnon said.
The four-week-long strike was hurting small businesses and charities during the holiday season, and at a time when many people rely on the postal service to deliver essential items like medication and official documentation, he said in a statement.
MacKinnon said the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post were “at an impasse” and negotiations had been heading in the wrong direction.
“Canadians must be assured that their government will take all necessary actions to protect them, especially when the safety and prosperity of workers and communities are at risk,” MacKinnon said. “I am making this decision to protect the interests of all Canadians. It is not a decision I take lightly, but in this situation, it is the right one.”
An Industrial Inquiry Commission will be appointed to examine the issues preventing the two sides from coming to an agreement, and MacKinnon will direct the commissioner to provide recommendations on how to resolve the issues by May 15, 2025.
MacKinnon said labour negotiator and former University of Ottawa law professor William Kaplan has been given the role of commissioner because he is an “experienced negotiator and has a clear understanding of Canada Post and its Union.”
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Canada Post said it is currently reviewing the details of the announcement to prepare to comply with MacKinnon’s directive.
“While that unfolds, we look forward to welcoming our employees back to work and serving Canadians and customers,” Canada Post said.
The Crown corporation said it has always been committed to reaching negotiated agreements with CUPW that would help it better serve Canadians and provide good jobs for its employees.
“We remain committed to doing so within this new process while also meeting the postal needs of Canadians,” it said.
CUPW has denounced the government’s decision, calling it an “assault on our constitutionally protected right to collectively bargain and to strike.”
The union said in a Dec. 13 statement that MacKinnon’s order continues a “troubling pattern” of the federal government using its powers under the Labour Code to “let employers off the hook, drag their feet, and refuse to bargain in good faith with workers and their unions.”
Negotiators from CUPW last met with Canada Post on Dec. 9, where it outlined demands related to wage increases over the next four years, a cost-of-living allowance, expanded medical days, increases of short-term disability payments, and improved rights for temporary workers.
CUPW said while some progress had been made, the overall framework of the agreement was still “far from something members could ratify” and the Crown corporation was not compromising on many of its “most severe demands.”
Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) President Dan Kelly said his organization is “relieved” Ottawa is taking action to get Canada Post workers to return to their jobs.
Kelly said it would be “too late to salvage any of the Christmas holiday season” for many small businesses, however.
“But the temporary order will help businesses that are desperately waiting for cheque-based payments from other business customers,” Kelly said, adding that Canada Post needs “massive reforms to ensure that even basic services to all Canadians can continue.”
