Canadian Union of the Postal Workers

Running head: LABOR RELATIONS
LABOR RELATIONS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

LABOR RELATIONS1
Introduction
The Canadian Union of the Postal Workers are considered to be a trade union in public
sector which represents the postal workers that involve letter carriers or suburban and rural
carriers of mail, postal clerks or mail handlers along with dispatchers and technicians among
others who have been employed at the Canada Post or outside of the Canada Post (Calgary
2020). In the present scenario, there are 50,000 members and upwards for the ‘Canadian Union
of Postal Workers’ which have been labelled as militant due to certain actions that have been
undertaken since their beginning that has been in the year 1965 as it had been made or
established to guarantee the rights to all the postal workers (De Donder, 2016).
This paper discusses the history and the significance of the above-mentioned Union,
which has been located or situated in Calgary Alberta, Canada. It further discusses the significant
events that have happened in the Union and the current issues that are being faced by the Union.
Furthermore, it also discusses about the personal observation as to whether anyone would be
inclined to join such union and the reasons for such. In conclusion, it summarizes the points that
have been discussed in the paper.
Discussion
History of the Union
The CUPW is considered to have approximately 54,000 members and they have a history
where the union had originated from the year 1965 when such union had been created as the
Canadian Postal Employees Association. The CPEA was considered to be established through
the amalgamation of the Dominion Railway Mail Clerks’ Federation, the Dominion Postal
Clerks Association along with the Mail Porters Association in the year 1928.

LABOR RELATIONS2
Significant Activities in the life of the Union
One of the major strikes of the CUPW was considered to be an illegal wildcat strike
which occurred or took place in the year 1965 and such illegal strike was the largest strike
concerning the government employees. The action was considered to be succeeded in order to
win the right of the collective bargaining, which would involve all the employees of the public
sector. Subsequently after such strike the major industrial actions was considered to involve a
strike in the year 1968, which resulted in the average increase of wages in the year 1970.
Consequently, there were further strikes, which took place in the year 1974 and 1975, which was
successful in the achievement of security in job in the face of the new technology in CUPW. A
1978 strike led to the president of CUPW being imprisoned after there was a defiance from the
Union to go back to work legislations which had been passed by the Canadian parliament. This
created a momentary rift between the CUPW and the Labour Congress of Canada. After the
strike of 1981, the CUPW became the first federal civil service union situated in Canada in order
for winning the maternity leave for the members (Calgary Local 710 – Canadian Union of Postal
Workers - cupwcalgary.org. 2020).
In the year 1981 the Canada Post had transformed itself from a government division to
that of a crown corporation, which would be accomplishing the demand which was long-standing
as such, had been made by the Union because it was expected and anticipated by the crown
corporation that such would be governed and regulated by the Canada Labour Code and the
relation between the union with the Post would improve as the strike action had become less
frequent.
In the year 2003, the CUPW accomplished the organization of Carriers of Rural and the
Suburban Mail into that of the Union and secured a collective agreement for the workers. The