With a backlog of packages and letters to sort through, 55,000 Canada Post workers will be back on the job at 8am Tuesday morning.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board has deemed the two sides were unlikely to reach a deal before the end of the year. Following the direction of federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon, members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are being ordered back to work and union contracts have been extended through May to allow additional time for the bargaining process to unfold.
Meantime, Canada Post officials agreed to implement a five per cent wage increase, retroactive to the day after the previous collective agreements expired.
Officials with the Crown corporation say the retroactive increase will be paid out to current employees in two portions: An upfront payment before Christmas of $1000 for all regular employees (full-time and part-time) and $500 for temporary employees based on a minimum number of hours. The remainder of the retroactive pay to be forwarded by the end of January.
Collective agreements between Canada Post and CUPW expired on December 31, 2023, for the RSMC (Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers) unit and on January 31, 2024, for the urban unit.
