16 Dec 2024 | 07:53 PM UTC
Canada: Labor relations board orders striking postal workers to return to work from 08:00 Dec. 17 /update 4
Canada Industrial Relations Board orders striking postal workers to return to work from 08:00 Dec. 17; lingering postal disruptions likely.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has ordered striking postal workers affiliated with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to return to work at the Canada Post from 08:00 Dec. 17. The move reportedly comes after the CIRB determined that the CUPW and the Canada Post would likely not reach a new collective bargaining agreement by the end of the year. The purpose of the strike, which began in mid-November, was to demand higher wages, improved pensions, and better health benefits. The existing collective agreement will be extended until May 22, 2025, and the Canada Post has announced that it will implement a 5 percent wage increase for its employees.
Lingering postal service disruptions will likely affect the Canada Post even after the strike ends as it works to clear backlogs. Business disruptions will probably continue to affect companies dependent on deliveries over the short term.
Plan for lingering delays to postal shipments; confirm the status of deliveries. Consider using alternative shipping services for critical parcels to avoid strike-related disruptions.
Some 55,000 workers are affiliated with the CUPW.
A similar campaign of rotating strikes that began on Oct. 22, 2018, continued for slightly over a month, producing a significant nationwide mail delivery backlog.
