Postal workers across Canada are casting ballots today on management's final contract offer in a mandatory vote ordered by Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, reports Blacklock’s Reporter. The vote closes at 5 pm EST.Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is holding the forced vote following a 32 day strike that ended on December 13 by cabinet order. CUPW leaders have urged members to reject the offer, calling it part of a strategy to weaken their bargaining power.Hajdu's office said Canadians expect a solution to the ongoing troubles at Canada Post. A briefing note from Hajdu stated that no agreement on contract terms or arbitration process is within reach at this time."Canadians have been impacted by the work stoppages and expect a solution to be found to resolve this dispute," said the briefing..CUPW National President Jan Simpson wrote in a July 17 newsletter that the cabinet had interfered to help Canada Post management. She described today's vote as undermining free and fair collective bargaining."This moment is crucial in our struggle," said Simpson. "Canada Post, supported by the federal government, is trying to weaken our union and diminish our bargaining power."Simpson said the forced vote was not accidental. She called it "a deliberate and calculated strategy to divide us, to silence our voices and to try and push through collective agreements that do not meet the needs of workers."CUPW President criticized the government's handling of the dispute. .She said Ottawa had consistently sided with Canada Post by suspending the legal strike in December, then setting biased terms for an Industrial Inquiry Commission."It is a direct attack on our rights," said Simpson about the forced vote process.Canada Post management blamed the Christmas strike for $208 million in lost revenue. The Crown corporation said the financial impact continues as customers turn to other delivery companies."Customers are avoiding the uncertainty at Canada Post by using other delivery companies, causing parcel volumes to drop significantly and financial losses to spike," said Canada Post management in a statement.The postal service reported record losses in June, with operations losing approximately $10 million daily. This represents more than double the daily average losses from June 2024.."These record losses are clearly unsustainable," wrote the managers.Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger warned in a May 28 Annual Report to Parliament that the Crown corporation faces serious financial troubles. He said the national postal system sits on the brink of insolvency."We must first break through the strong resistance to change that has led the national postal system to the brink of insolvency," said Ettinger.The vote results will determine whether postal workers accept management's final offer or continue the labour dispute that has disrupted mail delivery across the country.
