Federal jobs minister Patty Hajdu has ordered a vote on Canada Post‘s “final” contract offer to 55,000 employees, a move immediately slammed by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers as an attack on workers’ rights and something labour experts say might not bring an immediate end to the bitter contract dispute.
Hajdu made the announcement Thursday morning on the social media platform X.
“Today, I have decided to exercise my authority under section 108.1(1) of the Canada Labour Code to direct a vote on the final offers that Canada Post submitted to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) on May 28, 2025,” Hajdu posted. “After 18 months of negotiation, over 200 meetings between the parties, 33 days of strike and lockout in the fall, and ongoing strain placed on Canada’s small businesses and communities, it is in the public interest that the membership of CUPW has the opportunity to vote on Canada Post’s last offers.”
The vote will be administered by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board. Sources said the CIRB is expected to meet with the two sides in the coming days to lay out the mechanics of the vote, and look at lists of workers eligible to vote. The vote is expected to take place within roughly two weeks.
In an emailed statement, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers slammed the order as an attack on workers’ rights.
“Once again, Canada Post and the government are colluding to take away the rights of workers to freely and fairly bargain collective agreements. They seek to overturn and rewrite decades of hard-won rights and working conditions to make unilateral changes to collective agreements,” CUPW said, adding that it will be urging members to reject the offer.
“Forced deals will not achieve labour peace. This also sends a signal to other employers and the labour movement about how far this government will go to trample on the rights of workers,” CUPW added.
While CUPW could have its members start a full strike — or even a rotating one — as a response to the order, all the union said publicly Thursday is that it would continue its ban on working overtime, a “strike action” it began May 23.
Earlier this week, CUPW criticized the Crown corporation, saying it was trying to avoid a negotiated settlement by asking Hajdu to order a vote, and by insisting any arbitration be based on a key report from veteran mediator William Kaplan, who said Canada Post was effectively insolvent. Kaplan also said there’s an impasse in bargaining, suggested arbitration wouldn’t be a good choice to deal with Canada Post’s need for restructuring, and said a final offer would be the third option for an end to the dispute.
In an emailed statement, the Crown corporation praised Hajdu’s decision, which it had requested for weeks.
“We welcome the minister’s decision as it will provide employees with the opportunity to have a voice and vote on a new collective agreement at a critical point in our history,” Canada Post said. “This ratification vote comes as the parties remain at an impasse after 18 months of negotiations, a national strike and an Industrial Inquiry Commission which detailed the challenges we face, and what needs to be done to begin addressing them.”
Earlier this month, Canada Post rejected the union’s request for binding arbitration, saying it would take too long, and could exacerbate their financial struggles.
On May 28, Canada Post made what it called its “final” contract offer, which includes a 13 per cent wage increase spread over four years, as well as a $1,000 signing bonus. Two days later, it asked Hajdu to order a vote on the offer.
A forced vote could tempt workers who’d otherwise be in favour of the offer to turn it down, labour experts suggested.
“Canada Post’s decision to ask the minister to approve a forced vote will likely result in a backlash that helps unify a divided CUPW membership in opposition to the employer,” said Brock University labour studies professor Larry Savage.
But Hajdu’s order almost certainly makes life difficult for CUPW, no matter which way the vote goes, argued Steven Tufts, a labour studies professor at York University.
“The union’s in a lose-lose situation. If the members accept, then that’s really going to be a challenge for the union. If they turn it down say, 60-40, then you still have a large chunk of the members not enthused about a strike, and there’s no clear path forward,” said Tufts.
Labour law professor David J. Doorey said the vote is Canada Post’s last hope of avoiding binding arbitration, but warned it could backfire.
“It’s a risky move, because if the workers vote down the employer’s offer, it seems almost certain that the government will impose arbitration against Canada Post’s wishes,” said Doorey, a professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall law school.
Last week, CUPW filed a complaint with the Canada Industrial Relations Board accusing the Crown corporation of doing an end-run around the union to negotiate directly with workers and “purposefully trying to discredit the reputation of the union.”
The complaint also asks the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order damages be paid to the union.
The Crown corporation said it had every right to communicate with its workers, and said it will fight the complaint.
CUPW members have been in a legal strike position since May 23, but their strike action has thus far been limited to a ban on overtime work.
Kaplan’s May 15 report said Canada Post was effectively insolvent, and suggested the use of community mailboxes, the elimination of home delivery except for parcels, and getting rid of some post office locations and replacing them with franchises.
Kaplan also suggested expanding parcel delivery to seven days a week, with the use of part-time and temporary employees.
