2018 Canada Post strikes
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| 2018 Canada Post strikes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | October 22, 2018–November 27, 2018 | ||
| Location | |||
| Goals | Wage increases, job security and minimum guaranteed hours | ||
| Methods | Rotating strikes | ||
| Resulted in | Workers being legislated back to work | ||
| Parties | |||
The 2018 Canada Post strikes were a series of rotating strikes, which began on October 22, 2018,[1] against Canada Post by members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). Strikers sought "better pay, more job security and minimum guaranteed hours." On November 24, 2018, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government passed Bill C-89, which ended the strike three days later, and mandated the postal workers return to work.[2] CUPW members continued to work without a contract until September 2021, when they ratified a two-year agreement.[3]
Between 1965 and 2005, there were 19 strikes at Canada Post.[4] Strikes were ended through legislation in 1987, 1991 and 1997.[4]
In 2007, letter mail started to decline in popularity in Canada. Having posted its first loss in 17 years, Canada Post began its transition to parcel shipments in 2011, which were on the rise due to the popularity of e-commerce. As Canada Post spends about 41% more on its labour force than its private competitors and has a mandate to ship everywhere in Canada, this placed downwards pressure on workers in order for Canada Post to remain competitive. Meanwhile, CUPW faced new challenges with less leverage operating in a new industry where Canada Post does not hold a monopoly.[5]
A 2011 labour dispute between Canada Post and CUPW resulted in a two-week lock-out. This led to the Conservative government of the time passing a bill to legislate CUPW members back to work. CUPW challenged the constitutionality of the bill in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which ultimately found it to be unconstitutional.[4][6]
