Over 10, 000 people - including thousands of children – have been killed since violence began in Israel and Palestine on October 7, 2023, and the death toll continues to rise as the war enters its second month. CUPW condemns the targeting, kidnapping and killing of innocent civilians and calls on the Canadian Government to demand an immediate ceasefire.
OTTAWA – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is urging the B.C. Maritime Employers Association to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair deal that meets the needs of the almost 7,500 port workers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
Our school system relies on these workers – meaning all working families rely on them. They are primarily women, and they have seen shrinking real wages for too long. More than half of them need to work a second job just to make ends meet. They care for and support our children’s education, and these conditions are unacceptable.
Canada’s unions have fought for generations for the right to protest. This is a cornerstone of our democratic system. But what we have witnessed on the streets of Canada’s capital over the past thirteen days is something different altogether. This is not a protest, it is an occupation by an angry mob trying to disguise itself as a peaceful protest.
The National Executive Board has passed a motion to reimburse Locals for half the cost of providing N95 or equivalent masks for members to wear at work. Following the recent conflicts between members who wish to provide their own N95 masks and their supervisors, CUPW has decided to be more proactive about face coverings. We must continue to do all we can to prevent spread of the Coronavirus-19 in our workplaces.
CUPW firmly believes that protest is a legitimate means of expressing opposition to governments and bosses, and advancing demands for justice. It has a long history of demonstrating that by way of strike, rallies, demonstrations and marches. There are several elements that distinguish the type of civil disobedience that CUPW activists take part in, and the convoy that descended on unceded Anishnabe land (Ottawa) over the weekend of January 29, 2022.
CUPW supports the Gig Worker Bill of Rights which calls for full employment rights and the right to form a union to collectively negotiate their wages and benefits with their employer, among other things. Anything less is unacceptable. Gig workers should define and decide what their union looks like and democratically elect their leaders – not the bosses.
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.
In early November, CUPW wrote Steven Guilbeault, the newly appointed federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to request a meeting to discuss Delivering Community Power and the potential for Canada Post to become a leader in the new green economy.
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 Tuesday June 3, 2025, CUPW filed an unfair labour practice complaint against Canada Post under sections 94 (1) and 97 (1) of the Canada Labour Code. The complaint stems from the employer bargaining directly with members, knowingly interfering with the Union’s exclusive bargaining rights and purposefully trying to discredit the reputation of the Union.
Fact Sheet Available Online -
Now that the extension of our collective agreements has expired, we have started a nationwide overtime ban, and Canada Post has pushed for a forced vote on its “best and final offers,” it is important to remind ourselves of some of the major issues at stake right now.
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.