Warning message

Please note that this page is from our archives. There may be more up-to-date content about this topic on our website. Use our search engine to find out.

Across the country, CUPE members are doing important work, providing vital public services around the clock. And where you find CUPE members, you’ll also see the big impact their union has made on wages, benefits and working conditions – and the quality of life in the communities where they live.

It’s a fact. Joining a union makes a big difference for workers. Unionized workers enjoy better wages and working conditions. Union members are less likely to suffer harassment or discrimination. They have more rights, get more respect and their workplaces are safer.

As a union member, you have more control over your working conditions. You never have to go it alone with your employer because you’re part of a team.

Together with your co-workers, you can negotiate collective agreements that improve your wages and benefits while guaranteeing rights well above minimum standards. A union contract ensures workers get fair, consistent treatment making employer favouritism and management whims a thing of the past.

The union agreement spells out in writing the relationship between workers and employer. It is a legally binding contract. You know your rights and have a process for enforcing them.