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Angela Ross has always stood up for others. “Then I found out you could be a shop steward,” says the member of CUPE’s National Indigenous Council. Read where getting involved in CUPE has taken her in this profile, part of a series sharing the stories of members of the National Indigenous Council and National Racial Justice Committee.

September 30 is commonly known as Orange Shirt Day. The Orange Shirt Day movement began in 2013 to honour the survivors of residential schools and those who never returned home. In June 2021, the Government of Canada passed legislation to create a new federal statutory holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30). This means September 30 is now a paid holiday for workers in federally regulated sectors.

“Our union is diverse, our people are workers, they need to be represented. If we’re not making space for them to be safe or if they are being hurt in these spaces, they’re never going to get involved. So we need to make sure that we’re making space for all of these people and that their voices are heard. Not only the executives, but we’re making sure that we’re hearing from members directly also.”

“I get inspired by the issues with our band that I bring to CUPE,” says National Indigenous Council co-chair Brandice Blanchard. Learn how Blanchard connects union and community in this profile, part of a series sharing the stories of members of the National Indigenous Council and National Racial Justice Committee.

Join us on a journey back in time, as we go back to 1964. Have a look at CUPE’s very first publication, The Journal. It was published in both official languages, in October 1964, one year after CUPE’s founding convention in September 1963.

Environmental racism is a form of systemic racism that leaves Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities far more exposed to environmental hazards than predominantly white communities. It includes industrial and environmental policies and practices that lead to environmentally hazardous sites being located close to Black, Indigenous and racialized communities.

Our Members: Our Strength (1996) is a video, produced by CUPE, that addresses issues related to member participation in our union. The video is introduced by then-CUPE National President Judy Darcy and shows success stories of member involvement and mobilization.