National Indigenous Day coincides with the Summer Solstice. Not only is it the day when the sun travels its longest path through the sky, which explains why it is the longest day, but it is the day that many Indigenous peoples celebrate their culture and heritage.
Pride Month is mostly known around the world and in Canada as a celebration. There are parades, parties, rainbows, and glitter. But Pride, and the modern movement to gain equal rights, started with the Stonewall riots in New York City in 1969, and despite some improvements in LGBTQ+ rights over the last 54 years, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments have become increasingly toxic and prevalent around the world in the last few years – and the backlash and attacks are growing.
On Earth Day, 1 billion people from across the world will gather to fight for the green revolution. This year’s theme is “Invest in our Planet.” Earth Day events are calling on leaders in business, government, and civil society to take the climate crisis seriously and invest in a green economy.
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.
In December 1995, the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada following a motion introduced by Dr. Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament. The House of Commons carried the motion unanimously.
January is more than just the first month of the year, it is also Tamil Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions that Canadians of Tamil descent have made to the growth and prosperity of this country.
This year marks 33 years since 14 young women were murdered at l’École Polytechnique in Montréal. This act of violent misogyny shook our country and led Parliament to designate December 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Emancipation Day is the day when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 became law across the British Empire, including Canada. On August 1, 1834, the practice of slavery officially ended for millions of African people and their descendants in Canada and around the world.
CUPW calls upon its members and society more broadly, to be awakened to the abominable effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples on whose land we live, work and learn. We call upon all to raise awareness of the trauma that settlers have visited upon our first peoples through genocidal practices, discrimination, and continued sweeping aside of their pain and their claims.
Pride season is once again upon us! It’s a time of celebration and community, but it’s also a reminder of the continued struggle for acceptance and equality and that the work is simply not over.
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.