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Canadian Union of Postal Workers

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Canadian Union of Postal Workers
AbbreviationCUPW
PredecessorCanadian Postal Employees Association
Formation1965;59 years ago(1965)
TypeTrade union
HeadquartersOttawa,Ontario,Canada
Location
  • Canada
Membership(2006)
54,000[1]
President
Jan Simpson
Affiliations
Websitecupw.caEdit this at Wikidata

TheCanadian Union of Postal Workers(CUPW;French:Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes [STTP]) is apublic-sectortrade unionrepresentingpostal workersincluding letter carriers, rural and suburban mail carriers,[1]postal clerks, mail handlers and dispatchers, technicians, mechanics and electricians employed atCanada Postas well as private sector workers outside Canada Post. Currently comprising upwards of 50,000 members, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has historically been labeled as militant because of some of the actions undertaken since its inception in 1965 to help guarantee rights to all postal workers.[2]According to former president Jean-Claude Parrot, "We succeeded to get the support of the membership because we earned our credibility with them...we got that reputation [of militancy] because we earned it."[3]

History[edit]

CUPW's national office inOttawa

The CUPW currently has approximately 54,000 members[4]and has a long, vibrant history originating in 1965 when the union was formed out of the Canadian Postal Employees Association (CPEA).[5]The CPEA was itself formed out of the merging of the Dominion Postal Clerks Association, the Dominion Railway Mail Clerks' Federation, and the Mail Porters Association in 1928.[6][7]

Activities[edit]

The CUPW's first majorstrikewas an illegalwildcat strikein 1965 (before public sector workers had the right to strike or even form unions) and is the largest illegal strike involving government employees. The action succeeded in winning the right tocollective bargainingfor all public sector employees. Other major industrial actions included a strike in 1968 and a campaign of walkouts in 1970 that resulted in above average wage increases. Further strikes in 1974 and 1975 succeeded in gaining job security in the face of new technology at the post office. A 1978 strike resulted in CUPW presidentJean-Claude Parrotbeing jailed when the union defied back-to-work legislation passed by theCanadian parliament.CUPW's defiance of the law caused a temporary rift between it and the more conservativeCanadian Labour Congress.In 1981, after another strike, CUPW became the first federal civil service union in Canada to win the right tomaternity leavefor its members.

In 1981, Canada Post was transformed from a government department to acrown corporation,fulfilling a long-standing demand by the union. It was hoped that by becoming a crown corporation governed by theCanada Labour Code,relations between Canada Post and its union would improve. While strike action has been less frequent, there were rotating strikes in 1987 and 1991 against plans to privatize postal outlets, both of which were ended by back-to-work legislation and also saw attempts by Canada Post to break the strike usingstrikebreakers.

In 2003, CUPW successfully completed the organizing of approximately 6,000 Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) into the Union and won a first collective agreement for these workers. This collective agreement is separate from the CUPW collective bargaining agreement. The two collective agreements have major differences. These differences stem from the RSMCs formerly being contractors as opposed to employees of Canada Post. For instance, RSMCs are paid in a contract style system as opposed to hourly, RSMCs are typically expected to find their own replacements during absences, and RSMCs may hire assistants who are not employed by Canada Post. Also in 2003 saw the first of many rollbacks for the Urban Postal Unit when the contract that was reached included the elimination of severance pay. Members ratified the Urban Mail Operations agreement by a vote of 65.4 per cent.[8][9]

On June 3, 2011, CUPW began labour actions against Canada Post with a series of rotating strikes. On June 14, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. EST, Canada Post announced a lockout of CUPW members. The lockout ended June 27, 2011, after Parliament passed a law rendering illegal any further work stoppage.[10]

CUPW's last collective agreement was signed in 2012 and expired January 31, 2016. The RSMC collective bargaining agreement expired in December 2015.

The last agreement between Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Urban Postal Operations, expired January 31, 2018.

Failing to reach a new agreement, the union began aseries of rotating strikesacross the country on October 22, 2018.[11]

Other postal unions[edit]

In 1989, the Canadian Labour Relations Board forced most Canada Post employees under one union. Until that time CUPW, had represented only "inside employees" with the Letter Carriers Union of Canada representing "outdoor employees" and theInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workersrepresenting smaller units of specialized workers within the post office. After a vote, CUPW was chosen to be the sole union representing the combinedbargaining unit.

However, three smaller trade unions remain at Canada Post. TheCanadian Postmasters and Assistants Associationcovers 12,000 rural workers, theAssociation of Postal Officials of Canadahas 3,400 supervisors and theUnion of Postal Communications Employeesrepresents 2,600 technical workers.[12][13][14]

The CUPW put forward several merger proposals to the Canadian Postmasters but, to date, they have been rebuffed.[15]

Worker groups[edit]

The union represents different types of workers within Canada Post divided into four groups:

  • Group 1: Inside workers - postal clerks and mail handlers.[16]
  • Group 2: Outside workers -letter carriersand Motorized Service Carriers - originally from the Letter Carriers' Union of Canada (LCUC).[17]
  • Group 3: General Labour and Trades - mostly automotive service technicians, truck and transport mechanics, postal systems technicians, postal systems mechanics - the majority of these positions require the completion of a post-secondary program in their field or a provincial or inter-provincial certificate of qualification in their trade. Originally from thePublic Service Alliance of Canada[18]
  • Group 4: Electronic specialists and forepersons, like the group 3 workers, need a course in a technical or trade school to get in and require to attend courses. Originally from theInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers[19]

Private sector[edit]

The Canadian Union Of Postal Workers represents workers outside Canada Post such as cleaners, couriers, drivers, warehouse workers,paramedics,emergency medical dispatchers, printers and other workers and total 536 members in separate bargaining units.[20]

Outside causes[edit]

The union is also noted for supporting political causes. It spends funds in participating on issues such as child care,Cuba,abortion,Colombia,anti-racism,anti–North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), anti–global capitalism,marijuanadecriminalization, campaigns for women's equality andhuman rights.[21]CUPW has also protested theVietnam War,supported the disarmament movement, opposed South Africa's apartheid regime and opposed the bombing ofIraq,YugoslaviaandAfghanistan.[22]The CUPW also supports the international campaign ofBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions(BDS)[23]against the state of Israel "...until such time that it respects international law and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people."[24]

Presidents[edit]

1974: Joe Davidson
1977:Jean-Claude Parrot
1992: Darrell Tingley
2002: Deborah Bourque
2009: Denis Lemelin
2015: Mike Palecek
2019: Jan Simpson

References[edit]

  1. ^"Collective Agreements-Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers".www.cupw.ca.
  2. ^"This Week in Canadian Labour History".Canadian Labour Congress.
  3. ^Hudson, Erin (2011-09-08)."Pushing the envelope | The McGill Daily".www.mcgilldaily.com.Retrieved2018-05-12.
  4. ^"Union Structure".www.cupw.ca.
  5. ^TERMIUM®, Government of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Translation Bureau (2009-10-08)."CANADIAN POSTAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION [1 record] - TERMIUM Plus® — Search - TERMIUM Plus®".www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca.Retrieved2018-05-12.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^Thomson, Anthony (1977)."Early Unionization in the Canadian Post Office"(PDF).www.acadiau.ca.
  7. ^Bercuson, David Jay (1974).Confrontation at Winnipeg: Labour, Industrial Relations, and the General Strike.McGill-Queen's University Press.ISBN9780077350215.Confrontation at Winnipeg: Labour, Industrial Relations, and the General Strike.
  8. ^"CUPW - 2003-09-29 - Postal Workers Ratify two Landmark Collective Agreements".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-28.Retrieved2007-01-07.
  9. ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-28.Retrieved2007-01-07.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^"Angry postal workers rally before returning to work".2011-06-28.
  11. ^Vomiero, Jessica"Canada Post union workers to begin rotating nationwide strikes Monday morning"Global News;October 21, 2018. Jessica By Jessica Vomiero
  12. ^"About us".CPAA.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-11-30.Retrieved2010-09-28.
  13. ^"About APOC".Association of Postal Officials of Canada. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-03-11.Retrieved2010-09-28.
  14. ^"About Us".UPCE.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-06.Retrieved2010-09-28.
  15. ^Maheux, Daniel L. (2010-03-01)."Bargaining Unit Review".The Canadian Postmaster.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-06.Retrieved2010-09-28.
  16. ^"Agreement Between the Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers"(PDF).CUPW.
  17. ^"Agreement between the Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers"(PDF).www.cupw.ca.
  18. ^"Agreement Between the Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers"(PDF).www.cupw.ca.
  19. ^"Agreement between the Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers"(PDF).www.cupw.ca.
  20. ^"CUPW - Our Members".Archived fromthe originalon 2010-04-20.Retrieved2006-03-07.
  21. ^"Campaigns and Issues".
  22. ^"CUPW - 2008-04-29 - Q & A: Working toward a just peace for Palestine and Israel - CUPW & Resolution 338/339".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-05-27.Retrieved2008-05-01.
  23. ^"BDS Movement".BDS Movement.Retrieved2018-05-12.
  24. ^Bleakney, Dave."What is Happening in Palestine? Nakba – 70th Anniversary of the Palestinian Catastrophe".CUPW.Retrieved2018-05-12.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Union_of_Postal_Workers&oldid=1182372005"