Canada Post employees represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have voted in favor of the tentative contract agreements reached between the government-owned carrier and the union, according to a press release published Monday.
Workers voted on two proposed labor contracts — one covering urban workers, the other addressing rural and suburban mail carriers — reached in December. During the April 20 to May 30 voting period, nearly 86% of rural bargaining unit members accepted their proposed agreement, and 89% of urban members voted in favor of their deal, according to unaudited results shared by CUPW National President Jan Simpson.
With members ratifying the contracts, the new collective agreements will remain effective until Jan. 31, 2029 once signed, according to Canada Post. The carrier said the parties would sign the new pacts “soon” but did not provide an exact timeline. The employee approval wraps up a yearslong negotiations saga between the carrier and the union, which featured strikes and other labor disruptions, including an overtime ban.
"With the stability of new agreements in place, we look forward to working with our employees and bargaining agents to rebuild the business, restore confidence in the postal system and better serve the country," Canada Post President and CEO Doug Ettinger said in a statement. "Thank you to Canadians and businesses large and small for their patience over the last two years."
Canada Post has lost a sizable chunk of its parcel shipping business during the negotiations process and associated disruptions. In the first quarter of 2026, parcel revenue declined 17.1% year over year, which the carrier attributed to customer uncertainty and volume diversions to competitors.
Ettinger said Canada Post will work hard to regain the trust of customers, noting that the new agreements enable the carrier to "provide affordable weekend parcel delivery" and make adjustments to its retail network. However, the ratified agreements scrapped some previously proposed changes like dynamic routing and blocked weekend delivery for high-volume customers.
"The new agreements are critically important as the Corporation moves ahead with its transformation to return to financial sustainability and better meet the modern needs of the country," Ettinger said.
The ratified deals also include a 6.5% wage increase in the first year of the contracts and a 3% bump in year two. While CUPW encouraged members to vote in favor of the contract proposals, Simpson said union members "still have our work cut out for us."
"To win the fights ahead, prepare for the next round of bargaining and mobilize against the Government’s attacks on our public postal service, we all have to regroup and unite in our struggle," Simpson said.
