DHL strike ends with pension, wage increases; CN Tower staff locked out over stalled contract talks
A four-year agreement delivering wage and pension increases has ended a nearly three-week strike and lockout at DHL Express Canada, according to Unifor.
The union stated that 72 percent of the more than 2,100 affected workers voted in favour of the contract, which includes a 15.75 percent wage hike, pension increases for hourly workers, and a new pension plan for owner-operators.
As per the union’s announcement, the contract also features enhanced short- and long-term disability benefits, new mental health coverage, increased severance, and revised language addressing artificial intelligence, robotics, and remote work policies.
All Canadian operations at DHL were reinstated as of June 30, according to a company statement, which said, “We are excited to resume our operations and welcome back all our team members.
Together, we’ll prioritize delivering the highest quality service to our customers.”
The agreement follows a dispute that Unifor described as “historic,” because it served as the first major test of new federal legislation banning replacement workers.
According to Unifor National President Lana Payne, “we were the test case for the new anti-scab legislation and our union and members stood tall, held strong, and the end result is we got a fair collective agreement.”
Payne also alleged that DHL brought in replacement workers before the legislation took effect on June 20—a claim that, she noted, the company did not deny.
DHL initially kept operations running during the first 12 days of the work stoppage but shut down early on June 20.
According to the company, the closure was tied to stalled talks and the new legislation, which bars hiring to replace striking or locked-out federally regulated workers.
The work stoppage began shortly after midnight on June 8, when DHL locked out employees. Workers went on strike hours later.
Unifor said that while members will return to work following ratification, no specific timeline has been provided. The union thanked the public for its patience as workers address the delivery backlog.
Meanwhile, more than 250 workers at Toronto’s CN Tower were locked out after negotiations with Canada Lands Company broke down, according to Unifor.
The lockout took effect just after midnight on July 1, ahead of Canada Day and during peak tourist season.
According to Unifor Local 4271 President Shan Ramanathan, “We love the CN Tower. We love the CN Tower guests. We love to work, but at the same time, we have to consider the fact that we need more money to live.”
The union represents front-of-house hosts, servers, bartenders, chefs, cooks, and butchers.
Unifor’s hospitality sector director Lis Pimentel said the workers have not received pension improvements in more than 15 years, even though many have worked there for decades.
“When they get to retirement, they don’t get enough to live on,” she said in a statement to CBC.
The CN Tower remains open, but the 360 Restaurant, VUE Bistros, and Le Café are closed.
According to the CN Tower’s website, there are “no food services available during this time,” and guests are encouraged to bring their own non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.
As per Canada Lands Company, the organisation had been engaged in negotiations since April and issued its “best offer” on June 27, but received no response from the union.
