Excerpts
Unions have long been champions in the fight for better child care. From organizing child care workers to speaking out for more accessible, affordable, and high-quality services, they’ve played a vital role in pushing the conversation forward.
One of the most striking examples comes from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and its Child Care Fund. This initiative not only helps expand high-quality licensed child care, it also steps in where government systems fall short, especially for postal workers caring for young and adult children with disabilities.
The impact goes beyond individual households and CUPW members. The union’s work shines a light on the gaps in government policy, showing how unions continue to serve their members while fighting for the broader public good. By treating child care not as a private problem but as a social justice issue, they’re helping to build a future where care is a collective responsibility. Such efforts will contribute to transforming child care into a government funded public good every household has the right to access.
Responding to the demands of women postal workers and families with disabilities
CUPW members began to demand more support for child care in the 1970s and 1980s, as more women joined the workforce at Canada Post. Many of these women began speaking up about the child care challenges they faced, whether it was finding backup care, securing options for evening and night shifts, or simply accessing reliable services. Their concerns were voiced to CUPW and Canada Post management, and in 1991, CUPW successfully bargained for a groundbreaking solution: a jointly administered child care fund capped at $2 million.
The fund was designed to support child care projects and carry out child care needs assessments and research. It was a trailblazer; the first of its kind in North America, and among the first in the world. But in its early years, the fund fell short of its potential. That changed in 1995, when CUPW secured sole control and hired a dedicated child care coordinator, transforming the fund into a powerful tool for change. To this day Canada Post continues to provide money to support the fund, and the union manages the fund’s projects.
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In response, CUPW partnered with SpeciaLink, the National Center for Child Care Inclusion, to launch the Special Needs Project. As part of this project, CUPW provides a benefit based on individualized funding to help postal workers offset expenses such as respite care, child care, transportation, and uninsured health services for children with disabilities aged 0 to 18. The Moving On Project extends similar support to parents of adult children with disabilities, covering costs like life skills training and equipment.
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To ensure projects meet real needs, CUPW staff consult with local union executives who have an understanding of their members’ child care challenges, drawing insights from direct conversations and membership surveys. The union also funds research on child care across Canada to better understand household needs around child care accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity. Through these member-informed initiatives, CUPW has found that postal workers face many of the same challenges as other Canadian households, including difficulty finding care in rural and remote “child care deserts.”
This process has led to dozens of child care initiatives nationwide, often in partnership with high-quality licensed not-for-profit centers. CUPW provides administrative grants to these centers, improving care for all children, not just union members, while also offering partial fee subsidies and prioritized access for CUPW families.
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With strong municipal authority and proper federal–provincial funding for a national child care strategy, CUPW’s child care fund could be used even more judiciously to support members with unique care needs, including workers caring for children with special needs.The work of CUPW underscores the value of community-led planning in child care and the importance of providing equitable support for families caring for children with disabilities. This is an approach that remains crucial as child care expansion continues to fall short of household demand and fails to be fully inclusive of all children.
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