Workers table counter demands as strike looms at Canada Post

The Canadian Press

A customer arrives at a Canada Post post office as an ongoing labour dispute between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post continues, on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

OTTAWA - Canada Post and the union representing Canadian mail carriers remain miles apart in contract talks as a strike deadline looms less than two weeks away.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers posted its contract proposals on its website Friday, showing a demand for 3.5 per cent annual wage increases over the life of an agreement for both rural and urban postal workers. On September 7, Canada Post offered wage hikes of 1.5 per cent a year.

Postal workers will be in a legal strike position -- and Canada Post could lock out its employees -- as of Sept. 26 after CUPW's 42,000 urban members and 8,000 rural carriers voted in favour of job action to back contract demands.

CUPW also wants hourly pay rates for rural and suburban carriers equivalent to what urban letter carriers are paid, along with better job security and minimum guaranteed hours -- proposals that the union said have so far been flatly rejected by Canada Post.

Where there might be room for agreement falls under the notion of expanding services at the Crown corporation.

The union wants Canada Post to offer financial or community banking services -- something the post office provided decades ago -- as well as expanded postal services for Indigenous communities and broadband internet.