Perspective Magazine - Winter 2023

A Message from your President 

The last three years have been challenging for everyone, but through it all, I fnd solidarity and strength from postal and private sector bargaining unit workers who continue to be there for the public and each other. 

In 2022, many COVID restrictions were lifted, and as a result, National Executive Board members were able to visit workfoors for the frst time since the beginning of the pandemic. While we were able to connect virtually over the last few years, there is nothing more rewarding than talking to members face to face on the workfoor. I look forward to meeting more of you in 2023. 

We’re currently preparing for the CUPW National Convention, which will take place May 1 to 5 in Toronto, Ontario. We’ll report on the Union’s activities over the last four years and delegates will get to the opportunity to share any concerns and plan the work of the Union for the next four years. Resolutions will be voted on following a democratic debate and updates will be made to CUPW’s National Constitution. Delegates will also elect the Offcers that will make up the National Executive Board and the Regional Executive Committees, and will also elect National Union Representatives. 

This new year brings new and existing challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our work, we are experiencing a time of economic hardship as the cost of living continues to skyrocket, and we are fghting against the rise of low wage, insecure, and non-union competition in parcel delivery from Amazon and other private sector competitors. We are also getting ready for another round of bargaining for the RSMC and Urban Units, as well as some of our Private Sector Bargaining Units. 

Bargaining with Canada Post has never been easy, which is why we’ve already started to prepare. An organizing campaign called Building Worker Power was launched last fall to build our collective strength to be ready for bargaining. Regional Organizers have been selected and trained and they’ve already begun holding workfoor meetings and training more members in workplace organizing. 

Canada’s labour movement was built by workers coming together and organizing, mobilizing, and sometimes even striking, for fairness and justice. The victories of the labour movement over the years – minimum wages, overtime pay, workplace safety standards, maternity and parental leave, vacation and sick pay, protections against harassment and discrimination – all came to be because workers unifed and mobilized around a plan to win. 

Today, unions, including CUPW, work hard every day to protect the rights we’ve won, and to win new rights for all workers. Employers are increasingly forgoing good faith bargaining, preferring to wait for governments to pass back-to-work legislation and impose a contract on workers. Postal workers know this all too well. 

The labour movement should be a place of hope. We build hope through our collective power, and we build social and workplace change when we stand united. Our best defence to all this adversity is solidarity. The uncertainty around us makes it more important than ever for all workers to unite and demand better. This is why the union exist. This is why worker democracy is so critical to a brighter future. 

In this edition of Perspective, you’ll learn more about Building Worker Power, meet the Regional Organizers, get an update from the National Human Rights Committee and the National Women’s Committee, and read about CUPW’s international solidarity efforts and why they are an important part of building sustainable unions worldwide. 

We have a busy year ahead of us. We will meet many challenges. But we will face them together. 

In Solidarity, 

Jan Simpson
National President