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Canada Post and the union representing thousands of postal carriers across the country say they have reached an agreement in principle after two years of contentious negotiations.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the parties have “agreed to major deal points” and that the rotating strike has been suspended as the parties work through language in new contracts.
“We need to agree on contract language that will shape the collective agreements that will be voted on by members,” CUPW said in a statement, noting that it will “retain the right to strike.”
Canada Post confirmed the parties have reached a tentative agreement pending a union vote.
“While this is being done, it has been decided that all strikes and lockouts will be suspended,” the agency said.
If both sides fail to agree on the language of those agreements, the strike could resume ahead of the busy holiday season.
The saga has taken a series of sharp turns over the past few years as the union sought higher wages and job security and Canada Post wanted changes that would help improve its struggling operations.
CUPW called a national strike at the end of September after the federal government announced sweeping changes to the Crown corporation, including allowing it to stop home delivery to the four million addresses still receiving it.
The government's plan also includes lifting the moratorium on rural post office closures, which covers almost 4,000 communities.
The deal comes as Canada Post reported its biggest quarterly loss in its history as a labor dispute confronted long-standing structural problems in the postal service's business model.
