Canada Post, union disagree over taking 'five-minute wash-up time.' Here's what it is

As the possibility of a strike on Friday looms, the Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have several points that they cannot agree upon. The Crown Corporation received notice of a strike on Monday . It presented the union with new proposals for both of its bargaining units, Urban Postal Operation (UPO) and the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC), on Wednesday. The union said it would be reviewing the offers , and said it had extended a two-week truce to Canada Post. However, the corporation refused that request, and a strike on Friday remains a possibility. As the review of the proposals are underway, the union said later on Wednesday that the offers “fall short.” Among remaining sticking points are weekend work, benefits, wages, dynamic routing, and load levelling. The union also said that Canada Post would be “taking away the 5-minute wash-up time.” Canada Post echoed this statement in a summary of its new global for employees in the Urban unit . The corporation said: “We’re removing the 5-minute wash-up time before the meal period.” Here’s what to know. What is five-minute wash-up time? Five-minute wash-up time refers to time when employees can get ready before they have a meal. “Employees shall, during working hours, be allowed five (5) minutes paid wash-up time before the meal period when the nature of their work makes it necessary,” according to the Agreement between Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers . In a section about “unproductive time” in Canada Post’s written submission to the Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) in February , the corporation says part of the Urban agreement allows for “five minutes of paid wash-up time to allow employees to wash their hands before a meal period when the nature of their work makes it necessary.” The commission was created to examine the key issues between both parties with a series of public hearings. However, Canada Post has removed wash-up time from the new Urban offer currently under review. Why is five-minute wash-up time such a sticking point between Canada Post, union? Rafael Gomez, University of Toronto professor and director of the Centre for Industrial Relations & Human Resources, said in an emailed statement to National Post on Thursday that the issue “only inflames members and makes it more likely we will have another strike.” “I guess management is saying, ‘Any worker is free to wash up after a shift is done, but why should “I”   (i.e., the employer) be asked to pay if the shift is done? Wash up on your time…no one is stopping you,'” he said. He continued: “While on the other side, the union is saying, ‘Remaining healthy and ready to work another shift IS something “you” (i.e., the employer) should care about and hence pay for.'” What has the union said about five-minute wash-up time? The union said that “handwashing is a small but significant part of ensuring a safe, healthy and respectful workplace for all postal workers,” in an emailed statement to National Post on Thursday. A final report by ICC  cited reasons why there was a breakdown in negotiations ahead of the union’s last strike in November 2024. Canada Post, according to the union, was “indifferent and unresponsive to its legitimate bargaining demands.” One of the concessions that the corporation was seeking included “ the elimination of the 5-minute wash-up period.” What are Canada Post’s reasons for getting rid of five-minute wash-up time? Per the report, none of Canada Post’s competitors “enjoyed five minutes of paid wash-up time or paid lunches.” “Canada Post proposed elimination, which would not impact take-home pay but would reduce unproductive time,” the report stated, speaking to the reason why the corporation wanted to get rid of five-minute wash-up time. Canada Post did not immediately respond to National Post’s request for comment.

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