DHL Express workers on strike after company locks them out, adding to parcel sector turmoil

Christopher Reynolds · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 08, 2025 1:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Unifor says DHL Express Canada locked retired workers conscionable aft midnight Sunday arsenic the 2 sides failed to scope a declaration deal, injecting much labour turmoil into the country's parcel transportation market.

The union, which represents 2,100 motortruck drivers, couriers and warehouse workers crossed 7 provinces, says they went connected onslaught successful effect astatine 11 a.m. ET.

Unifor says the German-owned bearer is proposing to alteration the operator wage strategy and readying to usage replacement workers earlier authorities banning them comes into effect connected June 20.

DHL Express says it served the stoppage announcement Thursday and that Unifor advised of a onslaught the pursuing day.

In a connection sent by spokesperson Pamela Duque Rai, the institution said the caller outgo strategy is "designed to code changes to the economical viability and operational operation of the Canadian market."

It said it had projected a 15 per cent wage summation implicit 5 years, with a 5 per cent summation successful the archetypal twelvemonth of a caller contract. 

"Unfortunately, determination simply was not capable advancement to effect successful a caller corporate agreement," the connection said. 

The enactment stoppage, which affects bundle transportation crossed the country, comes arsenic Canada Post remains astatine loggerheads with 55,000 workers, whose national past period imposed an overtime prohibition that scales backmost parcel services.

Unifor says a enactment stoppage could disrupt adjacent weekend's Formula One Canadian Grand Prix successful Montreal, wherever DHL is liable for transporting the turbocharged contention cars.

Unifor says its bargaining priorities stay wages, moving conditions and surveillance and automation successful the workplace.