Title: Minister Calls for Response from Striking Canada Post Union

OTTAWA - The federal jobs minister is urging the union representing striking Canada Post workers to respond to the latest offers from the Crown corporation. Patty Hajdu made her comments to reporters as she arrived for a Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday. She emphasized that both parties have a responsibility to resolve the ongoing labor dispute, which has persisted for nearly two years.

"They all know the process. The process is that they negotiate until they get to a deal that everybody can live with," Hajdu stated.

When asked if the federal government would intervene to end the strike, as it did last year using Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, Hajdu did not provide a direct answer. Instead, she expressed her hope that both sides would recognize the importance of reaching an agreement. "My expectation is that they all see the cards that are on the table and that they find a deal," she said.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) began striking nearly two weeks ago after the government announced significant changes to Canada Post's mandate. These changes would allow the postal service to restructure its operations, including ending daily mail delivery and closing some rural post offices. CUPW has criticized these changes as government overreach in the bargaining process.

In response to its financial difficulties, Canada Post has welcomed the minister's proposed changes. Last week, the corporation presented new proposals that included a wage increase of 13.56 percent over four years. However, the new offers removed a signing bonus and included provisions for anticipated job cuts. The union has labeled these offers as a regression and accused Canada Post of not engaging seriously in negotiations.

"Our expectation is if the union is not satisfied with that offer, they should table a counter-offer," Hajdu remarked, adding that federal mediators would be available to assist in reaching a compromise. "That’s how mediation works, that’s how negotiations work."

CUPW is set to meet with Joel Lightbound, the minister responsible for Canada Post, on Wednesday evening. This meeting will be the first in-person discussion with Lightbound and will address the recent mandate changes and Canada Post's latest proposals. The union is urging the minister to retract the changes made two weeks ago, arguing that they could jeopardize the long-term viability of the postal service.

This report was first published on October 8, 2025.