CUPE now represents 800,000 members, and that growth is due in large part to its organizing efforts. Recruiting new members is a core function of any union, which is why we need to continually reflect on the principles and practices of union organizing.

At CUPE, we believe workers deserve the advantages that come with being unionized: better wages and working conditions, protections against arbitrary employer decisions, stronger workers’ rights, and solidarity. The point of organizing is simple: to improve workers’ lives and strengthen our collective voice. Unions are democratic organizations that give workers real influence and a say in decisions that affect them.

So how do we build that power and what does it take to do it well? What does effective organizing look like today? Have the fundamentals changed over time, or do they largely stay the same? How much have new technologies shifted our strategies? What major obstacles remain?