May 27, 2019
Every four years, delegates from across the country gather for five days to decide on the future direction of CUPW. We set policies, decide on the operation of the union and elect National and Regional leadership.
However, it’s so much more. Delegates representing the diversity of the membership set the tone and spirit to do the impossible for our jobs, our workplaces and our communities.
During the last four years, we stopped the elimination of door-to-door delivery, we achieved the start of implementation of Pay Equity, we have the commitment of over 1,000 communities to support expansion of postal services and we have placed healthier and safer jobs as a priority for fixing the Post Office.
As your new National President, I intend to follow through with my commitment at convention to build a united union, to fight the attacks on all of our members and to mobilize the membership.
Our Role in Society
Delegates also worked on ties with the broader labour movement domestically and internationally. New policies were adopted to support communities outside of CUPW where we share a common interest.
Delegates determine what our union’s approach is to our internal and our external issues.
These important values ensure the interests of the Union are at the forefront of our work.
It was a rapid and intense week, and we all poured a lot of energy into it. Delegates have returned home to report to their Locals and to kick off the new mandate with a renewed sense of purpose and a clear idea of the future – what we’re fighting for.
Moving Forward Now
In our first week, we have sent a clear direct message to the new CEO of Canada Post – push the arbitration process aside and let’s negotiate real solutions to the problems at Canada Post. Health and safety, precarious employment and equality must be dealt with.
This week we are developing our plan for the upcoming federal election and will present our actions to the National Executive Board (NEB) meeting starting June 4th.
Prior to the NEB meeting, the Board will hold a strategic planning meeting on our work for the next four years.
Organizing for the Future
We are continuing to organize new workers into CUPW to improve their working conditions and fight the corporate agenda of building profits off the labour of the workers.
We will also be implementing an organizing plan within the current membership of CUPW to resist any plans to weaken our working conditions.
We also do a lot of looking back and taking stock of our past work. We’re very proud of what our campaigns – A Canada Post for Everyone and Delivering Community Power — have accomplished. Our campaigns will be updated and we will continue to promote service expansion and environmentally positive initiatives in our communities through Canada Post.
We will also increase the visibility of our requests for members to work on our campaigns and special projects.
Making History, Setting Precedents
We are proud to have a record number of women on our National Executive Board. This is a time in history when diversity and richness in leadership count, maybe more than ever. It’s a critical time for the future of work and society, and for the very conditions that sustain life on earth.
Let’s keep up the positive energy and the hope, at all levels of our union. We have proven to ourselves over and over again that united, WE WILL WIN!
