This May, CUPW proudly joins the Asian community across Canada in celebrating
ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH. It’s a time to honour the history and rich cultural contributions of Canadians of Asian descent.
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. This month offers us all an opportunity to reflect on, and learn more about, the many achievements and contributions that Canadians of Asian heritage have made and continue to make across the country.
May is a time to recognize the long and rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to our country.
Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated across the country since the 1990s. It was officially recognized by the federal government in May 2002. May was also declared South Asian Heritage Month in Ontario in 2001.
Asian Heritage Month provides us all with an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Asian Canadians to the growth and prosperity of our country.
This year marks 20 years since the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.
Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated since the 1990s, but the Canadian government officially recognized May as Asian Heritage Month in 2002. In 2001, May was also declared South Asian Heritage Month in Ontario, further evidence that the Asian diaspora is important to our society.
From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian people have been unfairly vilified and scapegoated as responsible for the virus and its spread. This has led to an increase in anti-Asian racism, around the world, including in our country.
Every May, CUPW celebrates Asian and South Asian Heritage Month. During this time, we acknowledge and celebrate Asian workers in Canada. The country we know and love, would not be as it is today without the incredible efforts and contributions of Asian Canadians. As such, the Canadian government officially recognized May as Asian Heritage Month back in 2002. Many groups, however, have been celebrating since the 1990s.
This year’s poster brings together the stories of our sisters, brothers and comrades from Asian heritage. The blue colour represents the ocean that many have travelled on or over to arrive in Canada and Quebec. The red is emblematic of Canada, a society that is richer because it opened its door to the world.
May is a time to recognize the many contributions that people of Asian heritage make to the betterment of society. Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated since the 1990s, but the Canadian government officially recognized May as Asian Heritage Month in 2002.
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.
On May 30, Canada Post sent a letter to Minister Patty Hajdu, responsible for Jobs and Families, asking her to use her power under section 108.1 of the Canada Labour Code to force a vote on the Employer’s latest offers for both bargaining units.
June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, we honour the histories, cultures, resistance, and ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Turtle Island. This is a day to celebrate Indigenous resurgence and to reflect on the responsibilities we all carry as people living and working on Indigenous lands.
Today, May 30, CUPW met with Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, and John Zerucelli, Secretary of State for Labour. It was our second meeting with them since they were appointed to their positions after the federal election.
At the meeting, we shared our thoughts and concerns about negotiations and the recent global offers from Canada Post. We were assured that the Minister would continue to play an intermediary role in the bargaining process but will not intervene at this time.
Media Advisory -
OTTAWA - Canada Post’s plan will result in sweeping changes to our public postal system’s regulatory framework. The Corporation’s most recent contract offers to CUPW don’t drop its proposed rollbacks. When combined, this is sure to result in service and job cuts.
Wildfire season is early again this year. Fires are already raging in the northern part of the Prairies, in some Eastern provinces and in more isolated locations across the country. This is simply a reminder that we need to be ready to respond when such a situation arises again this year. In fact, some communities in Manitoba have received evacuation notices, and it is very likely that others will have to be evacuated over the coming weeks. In some part of Canada, the winter was mild with very little precipitation, increasing the risk of outbreaks. Therefore, we must once again be vigilant and ready to take the necessary measures to ensure everyone’s safety.
On May 28, Canada Post released its annual report for 2024. The Corporation posted a loss before tax of $841 million, continuing a pattern of financial losses since 2018. Canada Post puts the blame for the scale of its losses to several factors
Today, May 28, Canada Post presented what it calls its “best and final” offers for both the RSMC and Urban bargaining units.
While Canada Post insists that its offers reflect the Union’s demands from our May 25 proposal, there are almost no changes from what the Employer put forward on May 21. There's no question: Canada Post is not negotiating. Canada Post is playing hardball.
Application deadline: June 30, 2025 - On the fifth anniversary of the passing of Sister Megan Whitfield, CUPW is honoured to offer the Megan Whitfield bursary, two financial awards to encourage aspiring trade union activists to continue the important work Sister Whitfield started before her life was cut short.
The Union has now heard back from Canada Post through the federal mediators. The Employer has proposed to return to the bargaining table Wednesday (May 28) to provide the Union with a response to our latest proposals.
Union negotiators and the National Executive Board spent the last few days, and nights, reviewing the Employer’s last offers and preparing responses to issues in the offers and issues important to the Union that the Employer failed to acknowledge.