Unifor 191 is a composite local, with its offices in Winnipeg, Manitoba, representing workers in three provinces — at newspapers, commercial publishers, print shops, as well as office and union staff, and an area school division.
The membership is made up of journalists, newspaper office workers, printing press operators, bindery workers, graphic artists, designers, distribution services workers, proofreaders, and other print-related jobs; as well as labour relations officers, office support staff and school bus drivers.
Our Local is the oldest, continuously operating Local in western Canada, and the second oldest in Canada, chartered for the first time in 1881 with the International Typographical Union as Local 191.
We were the first Local in North America to organize newspaper carriers — at the Winnipeg Free Press.
Local 191 became part of Unifor on August 31, 2013, at the Founding Convention in Toronto, Ontario. The founding convention marked the coming together of our predecessor union, the Communications, Energey and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) and the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) – two of Canada’s largest and most influential labour unions. Unifor is now Canada's largest private sector union, with more than 310,000 members in every sector of the Canadian economy.
Unifor's core mandate is to be an effective union that is built by its members; deeply rooted in community and bringing Unifor’s work into the day-to-day lives of Canadian families.
Local 191 has approximately 1,200 members working in Winnipeg, Brandon, Selkirk, Pinawa, Thunder Bay, Calgary and Lethbridge. Our shops include: Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Sun, Brandon Sun, Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal, Canstar News, Lethbridge Herald, LGM/Coronet Transcontinental Printing (Winnipeg), McAra Printing (Calgary), United Way Winnipeg support staff, staff reps and Labour Relations Officers with the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (staff reps), CUPE 37 (Calgary), MGEU (senior staff), TEAM (LROs), WAPSO (LROs), school bus drivers with the the Lord Selkirk School Division, and staff at the Pinawa Golf and Country Club.
The Local is run by a rank-and-file executive board of 21 members, who meet monthly to look after the running of the Local, and who set policy in accordance with the wishes of the members.
The general membership of the Local meets at least four times annually. Notices of such meetings are posted on the union bulletin boards in the workplace and on this website.
Unifor 191 Constitution & Bylaws – Last revised Dec. 3, 2017