Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

Measures taken by the federal government have created new opportunities for the provinces and territories to fund literacy activities. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has prepared this information package to help its members advocate for literacy and Essential Skills (ES) programs at the provincial and territorial level.

This brief animated video was prepared by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canada’s largest labour union.

The narrator describes literacy as a tool for promoting equality and social change, helping workers succeed at work and in life. Literacy is the foundation for learning new skills required to deal with technological change.

In this booklet, the authors outline the experiences of a two-year project entitled “Numeracy at Work: A Social and Holistic Approach to Math as an Essential Skill,” funded by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills and carried out between 2009 and 2011. The project was led by the Labour Education Centre in partnership with the Canadian Union of Public Employees and Workplace Education Manitoba.

This document was prepared by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) to help busy union executives understand why literacy and essential skills are vital issues for them and their membership.

This document, prepared by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), contains five fact sheets that expand upon CUPE’s challenge to provincial and territorial governments to invest in literacy programs in the workplace.