Minister Urges Labour Board to Instruct Canada Post Employees to Resume Work
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon announced his request for the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order approximately 55,000 striking Canada Post employees to return 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 press conference on Dec. 13.
MacKinnon stated that Canada Post employees have been instructed to resume work and continue their operations, with their current collective agreement extended until May 22, 2025. He mentioned in a statement that the ongoing three-week strike was negatively impacting small businesses and charities during the holiday season, especially when many individuals depend on the postal service for essential items like medication and official documents.
MacKinnon explained that this decision was made after learning about the deadlock in negotiations between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post. He mentioned that the CIRB had indicated that reaching an agreement between the two parties was unlikely.
An Industrial Inquiry Commission will be established to address the issues hindering a resolution between the two sides, and MacKinnon will task the commissioner with providing recommendations on how to resolve it by May 15, 2025.
This is a developing story, updates will follow.
