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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Gord Delbridge was the longtime president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinnipeg meant everything to Gord, and I really do feel like Gord should mean everything to Winnipeg,\u201d CUPE Manitoba president Gina McKay told reporters Tuesday as she wiped away tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinnipeg meant everything to Gord, and I really do feel like Gord should mean everything to Winnipeg.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019ve talked about here \u2026 Gord has been so very important, not only to the City of Winnipeg and its workers, but to all of us in the CUPE family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Delbridge was elected president of the City of Winnipeg\u2019s largest union in 2015. He represented 5,000 city staff, including in public works, water and waste, 311, animal services, and at pools and libraries. He had worked in city arenas before being elected president.<\/p>\n
Mayor Scott Gillingham said he remembers Delbridge as a \u201cfellow St. James guy\u201d whom he \u201cgenuinely liked and deeply respected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when we disagreed, Gord and I could pick up the phone and have an honest, respectful conversation,\u201d Gillingham said in a statement Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understood that we had different roles to play, but we shared a desire to make Winnipeg a better place \u2026 His passing is a tremendous loss for CUPE, Manitoba\u2019s labour movement and our entire city. I will miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The union is currently bargaining a new contract with the City of Winnipeg. McKay said CUPE 500 first vice-president Patrick Troughton will \u201cstep in until further plans are made with the local.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shared a desire to make Winnipeg a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n
CUPE 500 has been without a labour agreement since Feb. 28, 2025. In June, the city and the union agreed to take bargaining to an arbitrator if negotiations stall.<\/p>\n
Public works chairperson Coun. Janice Lukes said Delbridge always took time to explain the union\u2019s perspective to her, even if they didn\u2019t share the same views.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a shock. And Gord, even though we weren\u2019t in the same ideological camps, we had great conversations,\u201d Lukes (Waverley West) said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know he shared his perspectives, and it really helped me understand his perspective, and I shared my perspectives on issues. He was a hard worker.\u201d<\/p>\n
They also bonded over their loves of the outdoors, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe played hard, he partied hard \u2014 I know he did, and I know he had a good time, because we\u2019d talk about ATV\u2019ing out in the bush.\u201d<\/p>\n
Delbridge served on CUPE\u2019s national executive board as a regional vice-president.<\/p>\n
\u201cGord\u2019s tireless advocacy for the health and safety of workers and community members who rely on public services has led to tremendous improvements for both workers and the public,\u201d said Mark Hancock, CUPE\u2019s national president.<\/p>\n
Coun. Brian Mayes, who was a labour lawyer, said Delbridge had the unique ability to let go of grudges and arguments quickly, often in the pursuit of fighting for the people he represented.<\/p>\n
\u201cGord\u2019s tireless advocacy for the health and safety of workers\u2026 led to tremendous improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe cared about his members. He really did fight to see some of these services that we\u2019ve privatized brought back in-house,\u201d Mayes (St. Vital) said.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m glad he lived to see (city council) have a vote to bring compost collection in-house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Labour Minister Malaya Marcelino extended her condolences to Delbridge\u2019s loved ones and said his impact on the province would live on.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur NDP government had the privilege of working with Gord to make life better for Manitoba workers. Gord\u2019s legacy will be felt in his commitment to Manitoba workers, dedication to his community and his passion for making Manitoba a better place to build a career,\u201d Marcelino said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Manitoba Government and General Employees\u2019 Union president Kyle Ross said he was \u201csaddened\u201d to learn about Delbridge\u2019s death and offered condolences to his family and friends.<\/p>\n
malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Malak Abas Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg\u2019s North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Reporter
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