CTA urges Canada Post to uphold labour standards in supply chain

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is calling on the federal government to ensure Canada Post sets the “gold standard” for procurement and labour rights in the trucking industry following a House of Commons committee hearing.

During the session of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities on March 23, Canada Post officials were questioned about the prevalence of the “Driver Inc.” model and forced labour in federal supply chains.

Although executives repeatedly claimed such practices do not exist in their contractor network, committee members presented evidence casting doubt on those assurances. Canada Post’s CEO said the corporation will more closely examine its contractors and will not do business with fleets engaged in illegal or exploitative practices.

“Canada Post is one of the largest purchasers of transportation services in this country. With that scale comes massive responsibility,” said Stephen Laskowski, president and CEO of the CTA. “The CEO of Canada Post said it is taking the lead in ensuring every contractor they hire complies with tax laws, safety regulations, and basic human rights. However, to date, these assurances do not match Canada Post’s reputation among our membership and other carriers.”

The CTA said it wants procurement to focus on ending driver misclassification, enforcing zero tolerance for forced labour and prioritizing safety over low-cost bidding models.

“We listened closely to the testimony provided today,” Laskowski said. “While we welcome the commitment to integrity we heard today from Canada Post, the real test will be what happens next with their real-world practices and engagement on this issue.”

The CTA plans to ask Minister of Government Transformation Joël Lightbound to convene a meeting with industry representatives and Canada Post to ensure contractor vetting produces verified, safe and labour-compliant fleets.