Comrades and Cousins; Fifteen years ago, a small group of kids in Nova Scotia surrounded a classmate with support and took a stand against bullying. Their message was clear: we stand with the bullied, not the bully.
The winter solstice will take place on Tuesday, December 21 this year, and it is a perfect time to stop and take stock of the connection we share with each other and the natural world. Leading to the winter solstice, the days get shorter and the nights, longer. The 21st day of December is the last date on which days shorten. The following day, there begins to be more light, and this will continue until the summer solstice in June.
CUPW applauds the Canadian government’s overdue passage of Bill C-4 to ban conversion therapy. The Bill became law December 8 and now makes the practice a crime. Conversion therapy has hurt far too many people and caused unnecessary trauma, and we hope this creates a path to healing for the LGBTQ+ community and their families.
Every December, activists around the world observe several international days for human rights, welfare, and dignity. All of the following days resonate more strongly in the pandemic, for different reasons. As we strive through the pandemic to stay united and strong, please take time to consider and act on the following specific causes...
In observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30th will now be a statutory holiday. Federally regulated workplaces like Canada Post will be closed, to commemorate the tragic legacy of residential schools in our country. This date coincides with Orange Shirt Day, which began in 2013, and involves wearing orange shirts to honour Indigenous children forced to leave their families to attend residential schools.
CUPW welcomes developments in Palestine where international pressure has resulted in an unconditional ceasefire after 11 days of relentless attacks on Palestinians by Israel. The disproportionate use of modern weaponry against the citizens of Gaza is ongoing state terrorism directed at the people of Palestine. The whole world watched as air strikes and guided missiles destroyed buildings, homes, and medical facilities.
December 10 is the day we commemorate the 1948 United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that sets out the fundamental rights of all human beings, irrespective of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
December 6 marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women to commemorate the anniversary of the 14 women who were killed at Montreal’s École Polytechnique on this day in 1989.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, representing 56,300 members condemns the in-custody execution of Soleiman Faqiri and joins the call for full transparency, accountability, and justice for his family. Mr. Faqiri, a man with schizophrenia, loved and supported by his family, and deserving of and requiring medical attention, was placed in segregation where he was brutally beaten and tortured. He was shackled and pepper sprayed with at least six armed guards present. That Mr. Faqiri was beaten is not in dispute. That he is dead as a result isn’t either. A coroner’s report revealed more than 50 signs of “blunt impact trauma” on his body, including on his neck, at the time of his death.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) represents over 50,000 postal workers, cleaners, food couriers, drivers, vehicle mechanics, warehouse workers, printers, and emergency and medical dispatchers across Canada. We commend you for your bold act of solidarity and wish to let you know that CUPW stands behind the Movement for Black Lives and all workers who will be striking on Monday, July 20, to fight for an end to systemic racism, white supremacy, and for justice for workers of colour.
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.
Tomorrow, August 20, your Negotiating Committee will return to the bargaining table to present new global offers for both postal bargaining units to Canada Post.
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.