The CIRB deemed Canada Post and CUPW are at an impasse
Canada Post will resume operations on Dec. 17 after a ruling from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB).
CIRB found that Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) “are unlikely to reach a deal by the end of the year. The Board has therefore ordered an extension of the current collective agreements, and a resumption of operations,” Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said on X on the morning of Dec. 16.
The two sides will work under the current agreement until next year.
And Canada Post workers will receive a wage bump during that time.
"While the terms of the existing collective agreements will be extended until May 22, 2025, we also put forward an offer to implement a wage increase of five per cent for employees, which was proposed in the company’s last global offer,” Canada Post said in a statement.
CUPW has yet to comment on the CIRB’s ruling.
But the union rejected the board’s intervention when the labour minister announced it on Dec. 13.
“We denounce in the strongest terms this assault on our constitutionally protected right to free and fair collective bargain and our right to strike,” the union said in a statement.
During the lead up to the strike, members of Canada’s ag industry provided farmers with advice on how to stay connected and do business during any labour disruption.
Farms.com, for example, published online versions of its Ag & Country Directory for Ontario and Western Canada.
Better Farming Ontario put its December issue online too.
The Alberta Seed Guide enhanced its digital presence and identified convenient pick-up locations.
And different insurance providers encouraged farmers to sign up for online services to ensure prompt business dealings.