CUPW’s Participation in International Events
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EVENT | DATE/LOCATION | PARTICIPANTS | DESCRIPTION |
ITF Health and Safety Conference | December 12 - 13, 2011 San Francisco, CA | Brother Serge Champoux, National Union Representative Health and Safety and Sister Lisa Peterson of the Winnipeg Local | The convention will bring together trade unionists, researchers and relevant NGO representatives to discuss the history of research on transport workers’ health and international partnerships in the area of health and safety and will set the context of trade union / researcher collaboration in order to present case studies and elaborate strategic planning in health and safety. |
Financing of a project in Columbia with STPC | From February 2012 to January 31, 2013 |
| Organizing DHL workers training, or organizers. Participation to UNI Meetings. |
UNI auditors meeting | March 26 – 27, 2012 Montevideo, Uruguay | Brother George Floresco 3rd National Vice President | UNI’s auditors meeting |
MENA Conference | March 26 – April 2, 2012 Casablanca, Morocco | Sister Gayle Bossenberry 1st National Vice President | UNI Post and Logistics held its second MENA-MED conference. CUPW supported the first conference -May 12, 13, 2011 as part of the CUPW MENA Region Project, in the framework of the UNI MENA GROW action plan. The conference in Morocco, welcomed representatives from thirteen countries. The objective was to share recent experiences and make strategic plans. |
UNI-Americas Executive meeting | April 26 – 27, 2012 Mexico City, Mexico | Sister Lynn Bue President of UNI Americas Postal and Logistics and Brother George Floresco 3rd National Vice President | Sister Bue attended in her capacity as President of UNI Americas Postal and Logistics and Brother Floresco attended in his capacity as a member of the Management Committee. The focus was to improve and enhance UNI’s work in the Americas. |
Labor Notes Conference | May 4 - 6, 2012 Chicago, Illinois | Brother George Floresco 3rd National Vice President, | This conference provides the opportunity to share experiences and learn new tactics and strategies to mobilize members, develop action oriented campaigns with labour and community groups. |
UNI\ITF Annual Global Delivery Meeting | May 12 - 16, 2012 London, UK | Brother George Floresco 3rd National Vice President and Sister Rhonda Hilton Regional Educational and Organization Officer, Prairie Region | This event deals with issues affecting the postal and courier sector, organizing campaigns in various countries, recent developments in the global express sector and planning for future campaigns and there is an additional meeting of affiliates key contact people scheduled for May 14, 2012. |
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) | May 23 - 28 St-Louis, Missouri | Brother Denis Lemelin National President, Sister Jan Simpson National Union Representative, External Organizing, Brother Mark Brown Education and Organization Officer, Metro-Toronto Regionand Brother Fred Turner National Union Representative, Grievance & Arbitration | CBTU challenges the gaping disparity of wealth, power and living standards throughout the world. CBTU has been the catalyst for actions against human rights violators.
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Rutgers Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics | May 30 – June 2nd , 2012 Brighton, England | Brother George Kuehnbaum National Secretary Treasurer and Brother Geoff Bickerton Director of Research and Sister Kathie Steinhoff Research and Communication | The Union is a sponsor of the Rutgers Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics and it includes a paper co-authored by Sister Kathie Steinhoff and Brother Geoff Bickerton and Rutgers’ planning committee has requested Brother George Kuehnbaum to chair one of the sessions. |
Labour Solidarity with Palestine Strategy Meeting | June 16, 2012 Montréal, Québec | Sister Toni MacAfee Education and Organization Officer of the Atlantic Region, Brother Christian Martel Director of the Quebec Region, Brother Mark Evard Director of the Central Region, Brother Mike Palecek National Union Representative NEC and Brother Dave Bleakney National Union Representative, Education | We analyzed the situation on the Middle‑East and in Palestine. There was a Quebec and Canada meeting of national organizations. |
UNI Americas Post and Logistics World Meeting and the UNI World Committee Meeting and the UNI Americas Post and Logistics Meeting | June 23 – 28, 2012 Nyon, Switzerland | Brother Denis Lemelin National President, Brother George Floresco 3rd National Vice President, Sister Mélanie Couture, Union Representative Metro-Montreal Region and Sister Lynn Bue, UNI Americas Post and Logistics President | Sister Bue attended in her capacity as President of UNI Americas Postal and Logistics and Brother Floresco attended in his capacity as a member of the Management Committee. The focus was to improve and enhance UNI’s work in the Americas. |
Planning Committee Meeting for the World Social Forum | July 12 – 18, 2012 Monastir, Tunisia | Brother Mike Palecek National Union Representative NECand one member of the Paltel Union in Palestine | The World Social Forum is the largest and most important meeting of its kind, drawing over 100,000 participants and 900 progressive organizations from around the world will participate in this meeting to plan the World Social Forums. |
68th Biennial Convention of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) | July 23 – 27, 2012 Minneapolis, Minnesota | Sister Asma Burney of the Edmonton Local, Brother Denis Lemelin National President and Brother Geoff Bickerton, director of Research. | This will be an opportunity to share perspectives on the current transformation of the postal service in North-America and around the world. Geoff Bickerton, Director of Research, will be participating in two workshops entitled Postal Innovation and Global Postal Services; as well the National President has been invited to address the more than 8,000 delegates to this Convention. |
American Postal Workers’ Union National Convention | August 20 – 24, 2012 Los Angeles, CA | Brother Denis Lemelin National President | CUPW has an important relationship with the APWU and they have extended an invitation to our National President to attend.
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Postkom Convention | September 5 – 8, 2012 Oslo, Norway
| Brother George Kuehnbaum National Secretary-Treasurer | We have been invited by the Norwegian Postal Union Postkom to send a representative to their convention and Postkom representatives attended our international conference in 2009 and it is important to reciprocate with our international partners. |
MENA-MED Tour | September 8 – 21, 2012 Woodstock (Sept 8-10) Port Elgin (Sept 10-22) Toronto (Sept 12-13) Moncton (Sept 14-15) Montreal (Sept 16-17) Ottawa-Gatineau (Sept 18-22) | Delegation consisting of two Moroccan delegates from FNTP-UMT (Moroccan postal workers’ union), Brother Abdallah El Ammari and Sister Yousra Badi and two Palestinian delegates from Pal Tel Union, Brother Habis Aburub and Sister Roba Masri and Brother Mike Palecek, Union Representative, NEC | CUPW organized this tour to strengthen the UNI Post & Logistic Middle East North Africa- Mediterranean (MENA-MED) project and to build support and solidarity with our members. During this tour our guests met with hundreds of postal workers, attended two president’s meetings, participated in the Union Education Program (UEP) in Port Elgin, met with the National Executive Board, and toured five postal facilities. |
International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) first global Young Transport Workers Conference | September 17 – 19, 2012 Montreal, Québec | Sister Emily Ottewell of the Pacific Region, Sister Krista Rickets of the Atlantic Region, Sister Sophie Couture, Québec Region, BrotherAlain Robitaille, Brother Yannick Scott, Sister Anny Lesage, Metro-Montreal Region, Sister Corrinna Newman Central Region, Brother Steve Craggs, Ontario Region, Sister Bonnie Pollard, Union Representative at Metro-Toronto Region and Sister Cheryl Horne, Prairie Region | The ITF World Youth Conference had delegates all over the world. |
Law and Labour Tour | November 3 – 9, 2012 Trinidad/Tobago | Brother Learie Charles of the Scarborough Local and Sister Toni MacAfee Education and Organization Officer in the Atlantic Region | At the event, we strengthened our relations with the Postal Union. |
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Road Transport Workers’Section Conference | November 12 – 14, 2012 Toronto, Ontario | Brother Kevin Barnhorst, President of the Toronto Courrier Local, Sister Rona Eckert, Union Representative at the National Office, Sister Jan Simpson, Union Representative at National Office, Sister Bonnie Pollard, Union Representative at Metro-Toronto Region, and Brother Mark Brown, Metro-Toronto Region | This event will deal with issues affecting the postal and courier sector, organizing campaigns in various countries, recent developments in the global express sector and planning for future campaigns.
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International Colloquium for the Liberation of the Cuban 5 and Against Terrorism | November 27 – December 4, 2012 Holguin, Cuba | Sister Bev Ray of the Edmonton Local,
| This event was held in support of the Cuban 5. During the four days Colloquium we exchanged with the Relatives of the Cuban 5. We also met with different municipalities of the province and with the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. |
World Social Forum – Free Palestine | November 29 – December 3, 2012 Port Alegre, Brazil | Sister Anita Bock of the Charlottetown Local, | The largest international conference in solidarity with Palestine in history, bringing together thousands of activists, trade unionists, civil society organizations to discuss building a safe, secure peaceful and free Palestine. |
UNI Americas, Women’s and Youth Conferences | December 3 – 9, 2012 Montevideo, Uruguay | Brother George Floresco 3rd National Vice President, Sister Lynn Bue, UNI Americas Post and Logistics President, Sister Melanie Couture Union Representative in the Metro-Montreal Region, Sister Debbie Carmichael Union Representative in the Ontario Region , Sister Anny Lesage Union Representative in the Metro-Montreal Region, Brother Mike Palecek National Union Representative NEC and Brother Geoff Bickerton Director of Research | Sister Bue attended in her capacity as President of UNI Americas Postal and Logistics and Brother Floresco attended in his capacity as a member of the Management Committee. The focus was to improve and enhance UNI’s work in the Americas. |
Frontline Tour Columbia | December 3 – 13, 2012 Columbia | Sister Madeleine Cléroux, Regional Union Representative, Central Region, and Brother Sylvain Lapointe, National Director, Metro-Montreal Region | For many years, CUPW has actively participated in support and exchange activities with Colombian workers, particularly as part of the Frontline Tour and is based on the participation of members from four unions (CUPE, PSAC, NUPGE and CUPW) that have organized tours in Colombia and within Canada and have implemented joint projects. Additionally a tour of Colombia has been in the works since last year to meet with workers from the subsidized projects and identify new projects. |
Funding of the South African Project | February 2013 |
| Project to strengthen relationship and organization with Postal Workers in South Africa. |
World Social Forum | March 26 – 30, 2013 Tunis, Tunisia | Sisters Anju Parmar Vancouver Local, Sister Mélanie Couture Union Representative Metro-Montreal Region, Brother Marc-Édouard Joubert of the Montreal Local, Brother Dave Bleakney National Union Representative Education and Brother Mike Palecek National Union Representative NEC | The World Social Forum offers many avenues to advance a progressive agenda and connect with social movements around the world.
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International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five | May 30 – June 5, 2013 Washington, DC | Sister Beatrice Douglas of the Nova Local, Brother Denis Lemelin National President and Brother Don Foreman Union Representative Central Region |
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Funding of the Postal Workers Union in Colombia | June 2013 |
| Co-operation project to strengthen the Postal Workers Union |
UNI Post and Logistics World Meeting and World Committee meeting | June 11 – 16, 2013 Nyon, Switzerland | Sister Gayle Bossenberry 1st National Vice-President and Sister Lynn Bue UNI Americas Post and Logistics President | Sister Bue attended in her capacity as President of UNI Americas Postal and Logistics. The focus was to improve and enhance UNI’s work in the Americas. Sister Bossenberry will take over from Sister Bue as CUPW’s representative at UNI. |
ITF Urban Transport Committee Meeting | September 30 – October 2, 2013 Tokyo, Japan | Sister Jan Simpson National Union Representative, External Organizing and Brother Tim Armstrong, Education and Organization Officer, Pacific Region | Eighty trade union representative of urban transport workers met in Tokyo for the ITF’s first urban transport committee meeting in the Asia/Pacific region. The focus was on the development of transportation policy, tackling the anti-union behaviour of global multinationals, opposition of liberalisation of public transport industries, and organizing informal transport workers. |
International Colloquium for the Liberation of the Cuban 5 and against terrorism | November 12 19, 2013 Havana, Cuba | Brother Don Foreman Union Representative Central Region, Sister Nathalie Boileau of the Ste-Thérèse de Blainville Local, Sister Cheryllynn Saramaga-Martai of the Winnipeg Local, Brother Dan McCormick of the Breton Local, Sister Sharon Samuels of the London Local and Sister Cheryl MacMillan of the Lindsay Local | This event was held in support of the Cuban 5. During the four days Colloquium we exchanged with the Relatives of the Cuban 5. We also met with different municipalities of the province and with the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, we also meet with The provincial in Holguin CTC (Central de Trabajadores de Cuba ), the Postal Workers and visited the Local Post Office. |
ITF Women’ Transport Workers’ Conference | January 27 – 28, 2014 New Delhi, India | Sister Jan Simpson, National Union Representative, External Organizing and Sister Lori Karas, Education and Organization Officer, Central Region | Over 270 union sisters from 80 different countries, representing millions of transport workers worldwide attended the ITF Women’s Conference.The ITF holds a women’s transport workers conference and regional conferences once every four years. The outcomes of the women transport workers’ conferences will be taken to the ITF congress which theme is “From Global Crisis to Global Justice, Transport Workers Fighting Back” later in 2014 |
UNI-Americas Columbia Meeting | February 5 – 6, 2014 Bogota, Columbia | Brother Denis Lemelin National President, Brother Sylvain Lapointe Director Metro-Montreal Region and Sister Lynn Bue UNI Americas Post and Logistics President | Sister Bue attended in her capacity as President of UNI Americas Postal and Logistics. The focus was to improve and enhance UNI’s work in the Americas. |
CUPW’s National Women’s Committee | April 4 – 9, 2014
| 4 Sisters from Morocco Visit Canadian Postal Wokers | To develop relationships and strategize on how to deal with women’s and postal issues in both countries. |
International Symposium on Postal Banking | April 26 – 27, 2014 Ottawa, ON | Organized by CUPW and hosting the following countries: United Kingdom | It is necessary to educate the public, politicians and policy makers about postal banking as a viable option and many of our sister unions around the world already have expertise in this field. |
UNI Post and Logistics World meeting and World Committee meeting | May 12 – 16, 2014 Nyon, Switzerland | Sister Gayle Bossenberry 1st National Vice-President and Brother Sylvain Lapointe National Director, Metro-Montreal Region | The focus was to improve and enhance UNI’s work worldwide. To explore and strategize common challenges throughout the world. |
Executive Committee of UNI-Americas and UNI Regional Women’s Conference | June 2 – 4, 2014 Lima, Peru | Sister Anny Lesage Union Representative, Metro-Montreal Region and Sister Rona Eckert National Union Representative Consultation | Sisters Anny Lesage and Rona Eckert are involved in international solidarity work and participating in this meeting would enable them to develop their skills and strengthen ties with all postal sector unions in the Americas. |
Planning meeting of the 22nd Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics | June 4 – 7, 2014 Brussels, Belgium | Brother George Kuehnbaum National Secretary-Treasurer | CUPW is an official sponsor of the conference put on annually by the Rutgers University Center for Research in Regulated Industries. CUPW’s participation in both the planning meetings and conferences has provided significant impact from a labour perspective into the discussion of the economics of posts and logistics. |
Spanish Postal Union Convention | June 22 – 27, 2014 Coruña, Spain | Sister Gayle Bossenberry, 1st National Vice-President | This convention brought together a large number of international delegates. Sister Bossenberry talked about issues around the Save Canada Post campaign and emphasized the importance of building ties among international allies and demonstrating our solidarity. |
ITF 43rd Congress | August 10 – 16, 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria | Sister Jan Simpson National Union Representative External Organizing and Brother Tim Armstrong, Education and Organization Officer, Pacific Region | At the ITF 2014 congress important decisions and the identification of priorities for transport unions globally for the next four years will be made. The election ITF leadership. The sharing of transport union successes, reflect on experiences and shape the future.
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10th Colloquium for the Free the Cuban Five | September 11 – 17, 2014 Havana, Cuba | Brother Jeff Callaghan, National Director, Atlantic Region; Brother Don Foreman, Union Representative, Central Region, Sister Anita Bock, Alternate Union Representative Atlantic Region; Sister Beatrice Douglas-Simmons, Nova Local, Atlantic,and Brother Scott Gaudet | ?? |
Trade Unions Responding to Change & Promoting Equality for MENA-MED Post & Logistic | September 24-25, 2014 Amman, Jordan | Brother Denis Lemelin, National President | MENA-MED meeting to take stock of UNI work in the region. Dicussion of work plan for the coming period. |
33rd Congress of P.O.S.T. (Greek Federation of Postal Workers Unions) | October 29 – November 1, 2014
| Brother Sylvain Lapointe, National Director, Metro-Montreal Region | Follow-up on various joint meetings (Spain and USA) Sharing political analyses (globalization, neoliberalism) Sharing of common struggles to maintain jobs in the postal sector. |
