Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon is sending the labour dispute between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
MacKinnon said Friday that if the board determines negotiations between the parties are at an impasse, it has been directed to order striking CUPW members back to work under the existing collective agreement until May 22, 2025.
MacKinnon said that he hopes mail will begin flowing again early next week.
“Canadians are rightly fed up,” with the strike, he said.
The strike has lasted more than four weeks, and MacKinnon said Friday that a federal mediator says negotiations are going in the wrong direction.
“I am making this decision to protect the interests of all Canadians,” MacKinnon said. “It is not a decision I take lightly, but in this situation, it is the right one.”
The labour minister said an industrial inquiry commission will be established to find out why negotiations between the parties have failed to deliver a resolution.
The commission has been directed to deliver a report to the minister, Canada Post and CUPW, by May. 15, which will provide insight on how to bring the parties together to strike an agreement.
“The inquiry will have a broad scope as it will examine the entire structure of Canada Post, from both a customer and business model standpoint.”
More to come.