Despite considerable media coverage about the difficulty of finding licensed child care spaces, most prospective parents wait far too long before trying to apply for one. Many parents don’t think about their child care arrangements until late into their pregnancy or well into their maternity/parental leave.
To better understand how parents learn about child care and how best to get information into their hands early CUPW partnered with the Child Care Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) to survey CUPW members who were on maternity/parental leave.
We gained a number of insights into the best ways to communicate with members and about the kind of information they need. We learned word of mouth (family, friends and coworkers) is one of the main sources of information. So too is social media. Members also want information about how to apply for child care and about government fee subsidies. Many members talked about wanting to better understand their rights and the process to apply for EI maternity/parental leave, work accommodation and other work/life balance issues. These findings will help inform the work of the CUPW Child Care Fund over the coming months and years.
(Volume 41, Number 3, August 2013) People like the idea of Canada Post making money through financial services according to a poll commissioned by CUPW. Close to two out of every three respondents (63%) to a Stratcom poll supported Canada Post expanding revenue-generating services, including financial services like bill payments, insurance and banking.
For immediate release OTTAWA- People like the idea of Canada Post making money through financial services according to a new poll. Close to two out of every three respondents (63%) to a Stratcom poll supported Canada Post expanding revenue-generating services, including financial services like bill payments, insurance and banking. CUPW asked Stratcom to conduct the poll in order to contribute to the debate on the future of Canada Post. The post office is currently conducting a public consultation on its future, focusing on cuts. "Canada Post has options other than cutting," said CUPW National President Denis Lemelin. “It could follow the lead of post offices in other countries by leveraging its network and adding lucrative banking services. Our poll results suggest there would be support for such a move.”
Support Postal Banking - Download and Sign the Petition
Canada needs a postal bank. Thousands of rural towns and villages in our country do not have a bank, but many of them have a post office that could provide financial services. As well, nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders. A postal bank could be that alternative. Download and sign the petition urging the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to add postal banking, with a mandate for financial inclusion.
Unfortunately, our scheduled meetings for Friday, August 15th and Monday, August 18th, have been postponed. The Federal mediators will not be able to assist CUPW and CPC due to their current involvement in the Air Canada negotiations.
This September, CUPW joins its Malayali brothers and sisters with joy and pride to observe Onam celebrations in Canada. Onam is one of the most significant regional festivals celebrated in Kerala, the southernmost state of India.
After pressing the Employer to come back to the bargaining table early last week, we received a response from Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger on Friday evening, just hours after we posted Bulletin 128, “CUPW is Waiting for Canada Post.” In his letter, Mr. Ettinger stuck to the lines we’ve heard from Canada Post for many months now.
A week ago, CUPW members spoke loudly and rejected what Canada Post called its “best and final” offers. The goal of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remains negotiating ratifiable collective agreements which meet postal workers’ needs, help grow the current services provided by a public post office and to better serve Canadians with new services.
Last week, postal workers decisively rejected Canada Post’s “best and final offers” in the government-forced vote. With a turnout of over 80%, nearly 70% of our members told Canada Post, “No, these offers won’t do it!”
Every employer in the Federal and Provincial sector has been watching us. Rejecting these offers was a victory not only for our Union, but for the labour movement as a whole.
To all CUPW members,
Thank you for showing up, for standing together, and for participating in the government forced vote. Regardless of how you voted, your participation was an act of solidarity and strength. And for those who voted to reject the final offers, your decision sent a powerful message: “We know our worth, and we deserve better”.
After almost two weeks of voting, the results are now in: CUPW members in both bargaining units have spoken, and they have rejected Canada Post’s global offers.
We’ve now entered the second and final week of the government-imposed forced vote on Canada Post’s “final” offers. As of July 28, 69 % of Urban members and 71.4 % of RSMC members have already casted their vote. Voting continues until 5 pm EST on August 1.
On March 24, 2021, the House of Commons voted to designate August 1st as Emancipation Day to commemorate the slavery abolition act of 1833, which took effect in 1834 and paved the way for the liberation of over 800,000 enslaved Black people across the “British Empire”, including parts of the Caribbean, Africa, South America and Canada.
On July 23, Canada Post shared some information about its “final” offers and the vote that is currently underway with members. Information was shared via email as well as distributed in some workplaces.