Union spaces for Indigenous, Black and racialized members are key to building an anti-racist CUPE. Getting together connects Indigenous, Black and racialized members and allies to discuss bargaining issues, well-being and psychological safety. In these spaces, we can identify common challenges and effective solutions, and build support, solidarity and community.
Indigenous, Black and racialized CUPE members can join existing CUPE spaces or use CUPE structures to create new spaces where they can organize and lift each other up. These spaces include local or division racial justice committees, as well as online regional and national meetings for Indigenous, Black and racialized members.
Here are some tips to get started.
Join your local committee – Join your local’s racial justice, human rights or equity committee. If your local does not have a committee, check your local’s bylaws on how to create one, as well as its roles and responsibilities. Ask your servicing representative or regional Human Rights representative to help you find other local racial justice, human rights or equity committees, and work to organize a regional meeting of these groups.
Add diversity seats on your local executive – Bring a motion amending your local bylaws to add an executive seat for Indigenous, Black and racialized workers. The member holding this position can help organize meetings for Indigenous, Black and racialized workers. Ask your servicing representative or your local executive for more information on how to add a seat to your local executive. You can also ask your division’s diversity vice-president, if you have one.
Connect with your District Council – District Councils are groups of CUPE locals from a community or region that work together on common issues. Find out if your District Council or local labour council has a diversity representative, and ask them to connect you with other Indigenous, Black and racialized workers.
Contact your provincial committee or council – If you are on a provincial division or regional Indigenous council or racial justice, human rights or equity committee, organize an in-person or an online meeting for Indigenous, Black and racialized members in your province. If you are not on a committee or council, check if your region has one. Your provincial division website should have a contact list of committees and councils. Get in touch and request a meeting with other Indigenous, Black and racialized members.
Organize a caucus space – Organize or request a caucus space for Indigenous, Black and racialized members at division conventions or regional conferences. Reach out to your servicing representative or regional Human Rights representative for more information on how to request a caucus space.
Participate in Diversity Vice-President meetings – CUPE’s National Diversity
Vice-Presidents host meetings once or twice a year for Indigenous, Black and racialized CUPE members and allies. Join these meetings to learn about current issues and resources, and how to take action.
Support leadership development – Ensure Indigenous, Black and racialized members can participate in leadership, education and training opportunities like the Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program that is being offered in some regions. Work with your local and provincial leaders to create a similar program. You can also advocate for Indigenous, Black and racialized members to participate in your local and regional educational programming and your division’s schools.
Join CUPE’s anti-racism list – This email list shares information about actions and upcoming events for Indigenous, Black and racialized members as well as ally members. An ally is someone who actively supports Indigenous, Black and racialized folks facing challenges by speaking out, taking action, and learning about anti-racism and anti-oppression. Being an ally helps strengthen relationships in the workplace and union and helps end discrimination and racism.
Keep learning – Check out the list of courses offered by Union Education to support your ongoing learning and growth on equity issues. You can participate as a local executive, a local, or with other members in the scheduled workshop(s). Locals can send their members to
in-person workshops. Find out how to get support from your local to attend by contacting your executive or servicing representative. Individual members can also register for online workshops. Invite your colleagues and promote the event.
Ask CUPE staff for help – If you have questions or want to brainstorm other ways to support Indigenous, Black and racialized members, contact your CUPE servicing representative or Human Rights representative. You can connect with them through your local executive.
When Indigenous, Black and racialized members get together to connect, support each other, and organize, it strengthens our union.
Every member has a role to play in building an anti-racist CUPE. Check out the other tip sheets in this toolkit and learn more about how you can get involved in our union’s Anti-Racism Strategy: cupe.ca/antiracism.
