CUPE Manitoba launches children’s activity book

CUPE Manitoba launched a new children’s activity book on Saturday afternoon to help young Manitobans learn about the public workers who keep communities running.

The book — filled with illustrations, puzzles and short descriptions — highlights a broad range of public sector roles, from bus drivers and educational assistants to arborists, health-care aides, water and waste workers and Zamboni operators.

The resource is designed to help children and youth better understand the workers they interact with every day, many of whom they may recognize but not fully understand the roles they play, president Gina McKay told the Sun after the launch.

“This idea came directly from our school division sector,” she said. “Our members — over 25 different school divisions — told us they wanted Manitobans to understand who does what in our schools. From bus drivers to custodians to educational assistants, support workers play crucial roles. We wanted to educate the community, especially our kids, about the work public employees do.”

McKay said the activity book expanded beyond the school system to include workers from municipalities, health care and other public services. “We all rely on public services. We wanted the next generation to know the importance of these jobs, and to do it in a fun, accessible way.”

Before Saturday’s Brandon launch, CUPE had already distributed about 4,000 copies across the city — an early sign of interest from schools, families and community organizations, she said.

“We brought several more boxes today, and we’ll leave them with the CUPE office here,” McKay said. “Our goal is to get this book into as many schools, public service waiting rooms, community centres and health-care facilities as we can.”

CUPE Manitoba will also hold launches in Winnipeg and northern Manitoba in early 2026. An animated short based on the book has also been produced for use online and in community settings.

The union is preparing to release a French translation as well.

“We just got approval to translate the entire book,” McKay said. “The work will start in early January, and we hope to have French copies available by spring.”

Brandon East MLA Glen Simard attended the launch and praised the project’s educational value.

“I think it’s amazing,” Simard said. “Kids may not understand what unions are, but they certainly understand who their bus driver is or who the educational assistant in their classroom is. Teaching kids about these workers is really important.”

Simard said the upcoming French edition will be particularly meaningful for local immersion programs. “We have a robust Francophone school system here. Being able to share this in French will help students learn the vocabulary of public work — words like workers’ rights, contributions and benefits.”

He also linked the initiative to Manitoba’s broader appreciation of public services.

“What I’m most excited about is the message that Manitoba is a great place to live — and it’s workers who contribute to that,” he said.

CUPE Manitoba sees the activity book as part of a much longer tradition of labour education and advocacy in the province, McKay told the audience.

“Brandon has deep labour history,” she said. “Over 100 years ago, during the Winnipeg General Strike, we saw strike leaders elected to office — even from jail or from the sides of streetcars. Workers have always been willing to take bold steps, and this book is one of those steps.”

McKay said the aim is also to counter old stereotypes about which workers “fit” certain jobs, something she witnessed firsthand while doing divisional teacher training.

“We want young people to know that any job can be for anyone — all identities, all abilities, all genders,” she said. “A health-care aide is just as important as a nurse. A bus driver is just as important as a municipal worker in water and waste. All jobs matter.”

The book was designed in partnership with Manitoba company LeBlanc and Co. and has sparked national interest. McKay said CUPE National has agreed to support translation and potential expansion to other provinces.

“They loved the booklet so much,” she said. “I’ll even be on a podcast on the East Coast soon to talk about it.”

Anyone interested in viewing or ordering the activity book can visit cupe.mb.ca, where CUPE will ship copies free of charge.

“This is about helping kids understand the people who make their community work,” McKay said. “Public workers stitch Manitoba together — and we want young people to see and appreciate that.”

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