Canada Post has put in a last minute offer ahead of an 11:59 p.m. EDT Thursday strike deadline set by the union representing 48,000 urban postal workers.
The Crown corporation says it wants to keep negotiating and is making a number of concessions to keep the Canadian Union of Postal Workers at the table.
In its latest offer, Canada Post says it would be willing to put a controversial short-term disability program on hold, to be reviewed by a joint union-management committee.
The proposed changes to sick leave is a key sticking point for the union.
The company says if the two sides can’t reach an agreement on the program, the issue would be referred to binding arbitration.
The last time the union went on strike was the fall of 1997. The workers were off the job for two weeks before being forced back to work by federal legislation.