A matter of solidarity

Supporting striking workers is necessary for workplace protection

OpinionsSean Richard — Published January 28, 2025 3 minutes

Many had their packages waiting in warehouses and were unable to use Canada’s postal services. Businesses were also unable to receive shipments of goods. 

While understandably frustrating, shouldn’t this situation create solidarity with the striking workers’ demands? 

The strike began on Nov. 15 after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), representing 55,000 workers, declared that Canada Post “refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day." It ended four weeks later when Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon sent the Canada Post dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). The CIRB ordered the employees to return to work after the board decided that negotiations had reached a deadlock. 

However, as worker demands remain unmet, an industrial inquiry commission will be appointed to generate recommendations for the labour dispute by May 15. For its part, Canada Post has stated that existing contracts will be expanded until May 22, and that it is proposing a five per cent wage increase for Canada Post employees.

Canada Post workers have demanded wage increases of nine per cent, a cost-of-living allowance, 10 medical days and seven days of personal leave. Additionally, they would like an increase in short-term disability payments up to 80 per cent of regular wages, and improved rights for temporary workers and on-call relief employees.  

One major misconception of the strike is the belief that workers go on strike simply because they are “lazy” or do not want to “work harder.” Striking and establishing picket lines is an ordeal, one that does not immediately lead to gains. It involves the withholding of labour to demonstrate the value workers generate for their employers. Strikes are a last resort effort for workers to get their demands met. 

Negotiations between Canada Post and its employees had started as early as November 2023.  CUPW National President Jan Simpson had hoped that “we wouldn’t still be bargaining now but we still have [not] really seen any movement at the bargaining table.”

According to Simpson, when CUPW issued a strike notice, Canada Post withdrew their employee benefits, which included wages and benefits for short-term disability employees.  I believe this is an important signal to stand in solidarity with these workers, as the threat to strike can make other corporations engage in the same behaviour. In that case, allyship and solidarity are important reminders for workers to never feel alienated and alone. 

According to Prof. Adam Kind writing for The Tyee, the Canadian government has also undermined its Crown corporation by allowing other private delivery firms to subcontract delivery drivers, paying them by delivery instead of by the hour. For example, private firms that work with Amazon can evade work regulations and thus make it difficult for Canada Post to compete with such low labour costs. CUPW calls this a  “gigification” of the post office, which prevents independent workers from unionizing and collectively bargaining.  

This harms workers on strike, making their requests sound superficial as the Canadian government sides itself with corporations exploiting other workers. There is no respect given to the Canada Post workers while corporations like Amazon continue to exploit job security for workers. Amazon recently announced the closure of all its warehouses in Quebec, which many believe was done to suppress union efforts. 

While regulation has been introduced for gig work in other Canadian provinces such as British Columbia, the federal government has not passed enough legislation to protect delivery workers from exploitation. 

The importance of solidarity is not simply a notion of courtesy that should be extended to Canada Post workers. It is a fundamental principle to guarantee protection for all Canadian workers. We must not forget that child labour laws, workplace safety laws, minimum wage and pregnancy leave exist due to the efforts of past workers.

 While this strike may have disrupted your daily routine, standing in solidarity with the workers is a small price to pay for better work conditions.

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 8, published January 28, 2025.