Moderating Social Influences

"I continue to be astonished by the extent to which ideas which should be on the 'loony tunes' margins of politics have now been adopted by a union which represents thousands of its members."
Liberal leader Bob Rae

The Marxist-Leninists are accommodated in CUPE and CUPW ... I have declared war on them. Otherwise, they will destroy the labour movement, and the country if they have their way."
Dennis McDermott, Canadian Labour Congress, 1979

"Union dues are tax deductible, so this is a complete abuse of public funds. CUPW's radical political behaviour does nothing to help postal workers in Canada."
MP Mark Adler

"We don't hide this part of our work. We feel it is important to do this work to show solidarity with workers around the world."
Denis Lemelin, CUPW president

CUPW has 54,000 union members. Obviously they are not all happy with the 'outreach' and agitation that their union is engaged in, and has been for decades, with no sign whatever of pulling back. But employees of government departments have little options left open to them; by law they must pay union dues. And their dues fund this kind of 'social activism' undertaken by their union.

Not only do reluctant union members pay for the actions most of them probably don't agree with and some find offensive to their own values, but as part of a 2000 collective agreement with Canada Post, an annual $200,000 payment is deposited to the union's International Postal Fund.

"A union is not living in a vacuum, just like an employer a union is living in a world that we have to understand and in which we have to intervene", explains Mr. Lemelin. And so, CUPW busies itself with its self-appointed mandate; to exert influence on international issues that have no relation whatever to union business.

When then-president Vicente Fox responded to escalating violence between state officials and protest groups by sending in Mexican federal police to calm the situation, CUPW sent a protest letter: "Mr. President, CUPW cannot accept such ruthless repression", which must have impressed President Fox immensely.

In 2011 when Egypt's Mega Textiles reacted against striking workers Canada's postal workers sent off an admonishing letter: "The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is asking you to stop resorting to violence", which intervention must have gone quite far toward solving the situation in Egypt, and exerting influence on Mega Textiles to cease and desist.

CUPW sent letters "on behalf of our 54,000 members" defending Hugo Chavez as a stalwart champion of democratic values. They also praised Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, against "the moral bankruptcy of the Canadian state", declaring her a genuine heroine. These are, needless to say, the employees of the Canadian state accusing it of "moral bankruptcy".

A favourite call among some postal workers in 2011 when police were called to remove them from a Conservative party constituency office in Fredericton, was "Heil Harper!".  In unreserved respect for the Prime Minister of their country.  Attending women's conferences in Bolivia, and equally important, peace rallies in Toronto, CUPW is determined to be heard.

And heard they are, with especial emphasis on their viral hatred for Israel, as an "apartheid state" whose oppressive treatment of the Palestinians represents a dreadful human rights violation. CUPW representatives have accompanied Gaza blockade-runners, denouncing the country and calling for a boycott of Israeli-produced goods.

One CUPW activist, a Fredericton mail carrier, has taken two international trips on behalf of the union. Flying 12,000 km to show solidarity with environmentalists marching outside the UN Climate Change Conference. Members have carried the CUPW flag to protests and fact-finding trips on five continents, including a May Day celebration in Cuba.

Following Fidel Castro's transfer of presidential powers to his brother in 2006, Mr. Lemelin declared "It is vital that we affirm our support for the Cuban people and revolution even more clearly and openly." CUPW members have been shuttled into South America and Africa to register their ire against mail privatization. Attending as well a Free Palestine conference in Brazil.

A women's newsletter issued by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, The Rose, published a report that Canada is complicit in "war crimes" as a result of its support of the State of Israel. Canada, it claims, "is allowing Israel to terrorize occupied people, breach international law, normalize home demolitions ... and steal resources."

The work of a union is never done.