Local 500 Campaigns
Why do we campaign?
CUPE Local 500 runs campaigns on behalf of our members to promote social justice and progressive change in the workplace. We have helped shape change by working with our members on issues that affect them directly.
CUPE Local 500 encourages its members to answer the call for action and get involved. Please check out our active campaign issues and those around the country to see how you can help out.
In this section you'll find out about Local 500 current and past campaigns.
Past Campaigns and Issues
Living Wage Campaign
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 500 launched a multimedia campaign calling on city council and mayoral candidates to commit to supporting a living wage policy for city workers and contractors with the City of Winnipeg. Many of the people who deliver the city services we rely on don’t make a living wage.
A living wage is the hourly wage needed for an income that pays for basic needs such as rent, food, transportation and childcare. A living wage is a bare-bones calculation and does not cover many expenses like debt payments or savings for emergencies or retirement.
Currently, the City of Winnipeg is not required to pay a living wage to city workers, and does not require city contractors to pay living wages to their employees. CUPE, the labour movement, and organizations like the CCPA have long advocated for fair and living wages across the country in both the public and private sector employers and municipalities.
A living wage policy for the City of Winnipeg would require that a living wage for city workers is the minimum standard for all City of Winnipeg employees, and requiring living wage standards and reporting to be included in all Requests for Proposals (RFP) issued by the city for contracted services. This policy would be similar to policies found in cities like Vancouver, New Westminster, and Cambridge, Ontario. Toronto has also had a fair-wage policy since 1893. CUPE’s living wage campaign aims to help ensure that the people who serve our city, whether they are city employees or contractors, are paid a living wage to provide the basics for their families.
More information about the Living Wage campaign can be found here.
Public Plowing Works Campaign
In February of 2015, CUPE Local 500 launched a public feedback campaign to solicit the concerns of Winnipeggers with respect to the quality of Winnipeg’s snow plowing service. To this end, CUPE 500 developed a telephone hotline as well as a website where Winnipeggers could register their stories and ideas on improving snow plowing in our city. CUPE 500’s Snow Plowing Hotline received over 400 comments and calls with suggestions on how to improve snow clearing in Winnipeg!
We presented a summary of these stories to the Public Works department on June 23rd, so they can hear from Winnipeggers that we deserve the best snow plowing service possible. The City's administration delayed presenting their report until September, and then again delayed presenting their report until November.
On October 23, 2015 we released our full report to the public!
Check out our report summary here!
Positively Public: The Winnipeg Way!
City support workers are the backbone that make Winnipeg a great place to live and work.
However, City Council wants to make changes in how city services are delivered. They want to
sell-off, shutdown, contract out or privatize important public services that provide a decent
quality of life for everyone. Local 500 is fighting back Read More
311 Contact Centre
In January 2007, CUPE Local 500 embarked on a nine month campaign to keep the City's new 311 contact centre internally operated by its membership Read More
Keep Assiniboine Park Public
The city wants to create a new governing body to raise private and public money to make improvements to Assiniboine Park. CUPE Local 500 actively opposed the proposed governance model through our “Keep Assiniboine Park Public” Campaign. Read More
Don't Trash Us
In May, 2005 Local 500 launched a campaign to influence City Councillors on the issue of contracting out of solid waste collection. Read More
CUPE National Campaigns
Click here for more information on CUPE campaigns across the country.