Labour Minister Patty Hajdu says the federal government expects Canada Post and its union to reach a deal “as soon as possible” following a resounding rejection of a contract offer by postal workers.In a statement Monday, Hajdu said the situation is being monitored closely and urged both sides to return to the bargaining table. “Canadians expect that parties return to the bargaining table and secure an agreement,” she said.Blacklock's Reporter said the comments follow a 69% vote by Canadian Union of Postal Workers members against a final offer from management. The vote was held after Hajdu invoked the Canada Labour Code to force a membership-wide ballot, bypassing CUPW leadership, which had already rejected the deal..Union president Jan Simpson criticized the government’s intervention, accusing it of siding with Canada Post. “With the government’s help the corporation threw everything it had at us,” she wrote in a newsletter to members. “The employer launched a propaganda campaign like we’ve never seen before.”Simpson said members rejected fear tactics and stood firm in solidarity. “Yet members stood up, stuck together, and they made their votes count.”The dispute has reignited calls from business groups for Parliament to legislate an end to any possible strike, as it has done twice in the past 14 years. .In 2011, legislation forced workers to accept a wage offer lower than what Canada Post had tabled, with a court later ruling the arbitration process was biased. In 2018, rotating strikes ended after Parliament imposed fines of $100,000 per day on CUPW.The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is again pressing cabinet to take action, warning that small businesses, heavy users of postal services, could be harmed by further disruption. “Government needs to immediately give Canada Post the full authority to make major reforms needed to ensure it is financially sustainable,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly. “This will likely require tough decisions including back-to-work legislation.”In its latest annual report, Canada Post said it is “on the brink,” with $841 million in pre-tax losses last year. The Crown corporation has not posted a profit in eight years.CEO Doug Ettinger said sweeping reforms are urgently needed to prevent insolvency. “To get there we must first break through the strong resistance to change that has led the national postal system to the brink,” he wrote, advocating service cuts and changes to union agreements.
