Unifor members at DHL Express Canada have voted 72 per cent in favour of a new four-year collective agreement, ending a national lockout and strike that disrupted operations for nearly three weeks
The work stoppage began on June 8 when DHL locked out more than 2,100 Unifor members across the country. The union called a strike shortly after, marking the first test case under Canada’s new federal anti-scab legislation.
“This is a historic dispute in our union’s books because 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,” said Lana Payne, Unifor’s national president.
Workers will return to their jobs under the new deal, although the union has not confirmed when operations will fully resume. Unifor thanked the public for its patience as members begin clearing a backlog of packages and deliveries.
Wage hikes, pension improvements and tech protections
The agreement includes a 15.75 per cent wage increase over the life of the contract, a revised payment structure and new pension for owner-operators, and pension enhancements for hourly employees.
Other changes include increases to disability benefits, expanded mental health coverage, enhanced severance pay, and new contract language addressing artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. The deal also improves provisions for remote work.
“This was a critical moment for the labour movement across Canada,” said Daniel Cloutier, Unifor’s Quebec director. “The determination of our members in Quebec and across the country has sent a clear message: the anti-scab law must be respected, and workers will no longer tolerate being sidelined.”
DHL workers represent key logistics roles
Unifor represents DHL workers at Locals 114 in British Columbia, 700 in Quebec, 755 in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 4005 in Nova Scotia, 4457 in Ontario, and in Alberta. Their roles include truck driving, courier services, warehouse operations, and clerical work.
Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union, represents 320,000 workers across the country in various industries.
