June 6th 2025
In December 2024, the federal government appointed an Industrial Inquiry Commission to examine the structural issues involved in the labour dispute between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). Arbitrator William Kaplan was appointed to lead this inquiry and convened hearings in January and February 2025 to hear from the parties about their views on the underlying causes of the labour dispute. There were only two parties directly involved in this process (the Corporation and CUPW), however other interested organizations provided written submissions. You can find a copy of CPAA’s written submissions here: cpaa-acmpa.ca.
On May 15, 2025, Arbitrator Kaplan released his final report. He made several findings about the Corporation’s financial troubles and changes that might be needed. He also made a number of recommendations about the path forward. There has been a lot of discussion about the report and there is a lot of concern about the recommendations he made, especially about the future of mail delivery in rural, remote, and Northern communities—and what this could mean for our members.
It is important to remember that the Kaplan Report does not change the law or regulations for Canada Post —only Parliament can do that. The government might consider the Kaplan Report, but it will also consider many other reports and commissions that have studied Canadian postal service over the years. Any changes – including to the Postal Charter, the moratorium on closure of rural post offices, or any other legal changes to the Corporation—will have to be made by the federal government. There will be a process to make these changes, and the government will speak to the parties involved. When, and if, that process happens, CPAA will be a vocal participant, advocating for members’ interests. In the interim, CPAA will continue to review Kaplan’s report, and consider his views on the issues that are relevant to our members.
CPAA MANITOBA 