Canada Post has presented its latest contract offer in labour negotiations with Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) less than a week after the union received a strike mandate from workers.
In a bid to reach a new deal without a labour disruption, the latest proposal includes annual wage increases amounting to 11.5 per cent over four years.
It also protects the defined-benefit pension for current employees, as well as their job security and health benefits.
The union announced late last week that its members voted overwhelmingly to support a strike if a deal could not be reached at the bargaining table.
It said preliminary results showed 95.8 per cent of urban workers and 95.5 per cent of rural workers voted to back the strike mandate.
“We recognize the challenges our employer is facing, and our goal is not to simply make demands, but to work together toward solutions that support the long-term success of our public post office while addressing the real struggles our members face daily,” said CUPW National President Jan Simpson in a statement on Monday.
Canada Post wrote in a statement on its website last week that it was committed to finding common ground during negotiations.
“A labour disruption would have significant consequences for the businesses we serve and the millions of Canadians who rely on Canada Post, while deepening the company’s already serious financial situation,” the statement read.
Canada Post declined an interview with CBC News.
A cooling-off period in the contract talks ends on Saturday. Workers would be in a legal position to strike as of 12:01 a.m. ET on Nov. 3, if notice is given 72 hours in advance.
Canada Post and CUPW have been negotiating and meeting regularly for almost a year.
The Crown corporation reported in May that it suffered a $748-million loss before tax in 2023, citing competition from a post-pandemic surge in parcel delivery services, lower volumes of transaction mail, and higher delivery costs.
At the time, it warned that it could run out of operating funds in less than a year.
