Postal workers first elected Simpson to the position in 2019
For immediate release
Ottawa – Jan Simpson, the first Black woman to lead a National Union in Canada, has been re-elected to an historic second term as National President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). This gives her a decisive mandate to take the Union forward as it faces tough collective bargaining negotiations. In another first, the National Executive Committee is now predominantly female. Rona Eckert has been elected 1st National Vice-President; Beverly Collins has been re-elected to her third term as National Secretary-Treasurer; Coleen Jones has been elected 2nd National Vice-President and Jody Hutton has been elected 3rd National Vice-President.
Simpson has led the Union through the turbulence and uncertainty of Covid-19, ensuring that postal workers and all CUPW members were kept safe while working – helping the country to flatten the curve. She has been re-elected at a time when workers across the country have been emerging from the pandemic more determined than ever to fight for better working conditions, wages, and work-life balance. The CUPW is also pushing for the creation of a Public Postal bank, a game-changer which could support those who are under banked and those in remote communities. The Union is also pushing Canada Post to play its part in the fight against Climate Change by calling on the Corporation to accelerate its plans to reduce its carbon footprint.
In her acceptance speech, Simpson called for unity as members prepare to mobilize to meet the challenges ahead.
Simpson rose through CUPW’s ranks starting as a postal worker in Toronto. Simpson has been a trailblazer in the Canadian Labour movement becoming the first Black person elected to CUPW’s National Executive Committee in 2015 serving as 1st National Vice-President. Then, in 2019, she became the first Black woman to lead any National Union in Canada.
At the Convention, held in Toronto May 1st – 5th, over 600 delegates worked on union policy and elected a new roster of national and regional leaders. They held a rally amplifying the Ontario Federation of Labour’s “Enough is Enough” campaign in Nathan Phillips Square.
New National Executive Committee:
- National President – Jan Simpson
- 1st National Vice-President – Rona Eckert
- National Secretary-Treasurer – Beverly Collins
- National Grievance Officer – Carl Girouard
- 2nd National Vice-President – Coleen Jones
- 3rd National Vice-President – Jody Hutton
- 4th National Vice-President – Martin Champagne