Pride events are a beautiful and complex union of celebration and resistance. Over the decades, Pride festivals and parades have done so much for visibility, community organizing, and bringing LGBTQ issues and achievements into the spotlight.
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.
Looking for something to do with the kiddos? We have just the thing! Download, print and have them colour this poster. Tape it to your window or mailbox! Please take pictures, share them to your social media feeds and tag @cupw on Twitter and CUPW-STTP on Facebook.
February is a time to raise awareness of the Black History in our country and around the world that has been historically overlooked, minimized, ignored, or erased. Each year, our National Human Rights Committee’ issues a commemorative poster. This year, the poster brings to light some of Ontario’s Black history and how Black workers and neighbours have shaped, and continue to shape, the province that we know today.
On December 6, 1989, a man entered a mechanical engineering classroom at Montreal’s École Polytechnique armed with a semi-automatic weapon. After separating the women from the men, he opened fire on the women. When he was finished, fourteen young women were dead, and thirteen other people wounded.
Friday, June 21, is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and one where we celebrate the culture and heritage of Canada’s first peoples. The rich tapestry of the myriad traditions that make up over 600 Indigenous nations beckons reflection from us all from which we can draw inspiration. For instance, in the Anishnaabe culture, the strawberry, known as the “heart berry”, is associated with forgiveness in various oral stories. Summer is, therefore, a time for the heart, when we clear out old energy and make room for new possibilities.
The Union is actively concerned about the problem of all forms of harassment, violence and discrimination in the workplace, both management/worker and worker/worker.
That is why our union is taking a stand against all forms of harassment, violence and discrimination at any union function. If any union member is discouraged from participating in CUPW as a result of harassment, violence or discrimination, we are all weakened.
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.
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.
Today, May 23, is the first day of a nationwide overtime ban. As of 12:01 a.m. today, members were called on to refuse to work more than eight hours a day and more than 40 hours a week. This is a legal strike action and all CUPW members must follow this direction.
The National Executive Board has called for a nationwide overtime ban effective May 23 at 12:00 am local time. That means members are being called on to refuse to work any more than eight hours in a day and refuse to work more than forty hours in a week.
Today, May 21, our negotiation committees received global offers from Canada Post for both the Urban Postal Operation (UPO) and the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMCs) bargaining units. The Negotiators are currently reviewing and analyzing the offers’ contents. We will provide a more in-depth analysis shortly, but here are some of the main elements of the offers below...
After walking away from the table for the third time, Canada Post will finally table their global offers today. Our negotiating committee is currently on the way to receive the proposals.
This year, CUPW is proud to celebrate the Pride season under the theme "Workers United Against Hate" proposed by the Canadian Labour Congress. As we face a shocking rise in anti-LGBTQ hate in Canada and around the world, this theme is more important than ever.
On Monday, May 19, CUPW issued a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post. This action was not taken lightly, but it was done for several reasons.
The collective agreements for the Urban Postal Operations and the Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers bargaining units, which were extended by the Government in December 2024, are set to expire Friday, May 23 at midnight.
Commissioner Kaplan’s report of the Industrial Inquiry Commission skews heavily in favour of Canada Post’s positions and recommendations. We fundamentally disagree with the bulk of its recommendations and challenge some of the information on which it was based. We have also objected to the entire process, but we felt that we had to participate in order to give voice to postal workers. The report also outlines three possible steps forward after May 22. It is important to note that this is not a done deal. It is up to Minister Patty Hajdu to decide what to do with the report – if anything at all.
May 18 is Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. Every year, on this day, we remember the Tamil people who have died since 1948 because of the genocide committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state, including the massacre in Mullivaikkal, Sri Lanka, in May 2009.
We received Commissioner Kaplan’s lengthy report today on bargaining between CUPW and Canada Post. It comes out of the Industrial Inquiry Commission convened by the former Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, under section 108 of the Canada Labour Code.