Canada Post employees want better working conditions and fair wages

55,000 Canada Post workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went on strike Friday after a year of bargaining.

The Canada-wide strike mandate comes after workers demanded better pay, safer working conditions and other contract improvements.

The CUPW issued a 72-hour strike notice last week before walking off the job.

“Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day. Instead, Canada Post left us no choice when it threatened to change our working conditions and leave our members exposed to layoffs,” the CUPW said in a news release.

Ludja Charles-Pierre is the vice president for the Montreal local union of the Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes.

She said that workers are trying to catch up with inflation and create better working conditions for future employees. She was with other workers as they picketed in front of the sorting facility in St-Laurent on Monday morning.

“Everyone thinks that we’re the problem, but we’re not the problem. Canada Post has been making a lot of profits off employees, and not giving back,” she said. “We’re also here because we like to have fair wages. Inflation has touched everyone. I don’t understand why Canada Post workers are not compensated for the work they did. When there was COVID, we were the only ones working and Canada Post is telling you, now we don’t have any money for you.”

Charles-Pierre noted that Canada Post recently cut employee benefits after the strike notice was issued.

“Recently Canada Posts, since Friday, has been laying off people saying that they there’s a lack of work, but we’re all on strike. So, we don’t understand why Canada Posts is treating the people that are helping to make them money so badly.”

However, Canada Post said that it would do its best to minimize service disruptions, but delays may be unavoidable.

“Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike, and some post offices will be closed,” Canada Post said as part of a news release. “Service guarantees will be impacted for items already in the postal network. No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over.”

It also warned that a labour disruption would make its current financial situation worse, as a competitive parcel delivery market has increasingly challenged Canada Post in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Shutting down facilities across the country will affect Canada Post’s entire national network,” Canada Post noted. “Processing and delivery may take some time to fully return to normal.”

According to Charles-Pierre, 68 employees quit in Montreal last year.

“The discontent has been shown for the past year. In 2024, 218 employees have quit. Nine out of 10 employees quit because they don’t have work guarantees. Canada Post was like the new employees can come and get 40 hours a week guaranteed, but they will only pay them 30 hours when they need them. No one can put their life on standby without that type of job security,” she said.

Charles-Pierre added that employees want to get back to work with better conditions.

“Canada Post has been changing the employee schedules. And what happens is that I have employees that are starting at noon, finishing at 8. They don’t get to see their family. It’s not normal for people not being able to pay their mortgage and the rent and having two jobs and having to go to food banks.”