Get to know our leaders
The National Executive Board makes decisions on behalf of CUPE members in between conventions. Its members are elected by CUPE members at our biennial national conventions.
Governance
National Convention is the supreme authority of CUPE. Every two years, delegates from locals across the country come together to elect our national officers and executive board, vote on resolutions and policy papers to democratically set the priorities and direction of the union, and guide the work of leaders and staff in the interests of every CUPE member.
Between conventions, the National Executive Board (NEB) takes the action needed to carry out the direction set by convention delegates. They meet at least four times a year. Members of the NEB include: the two national officers, the five general vice-presidents, the fourteen regional vice-presidents, and the two diversity vice-presidents.
CUPE’s two national officers are National President and National Secretary-Treasurer. The national president supervises the affairs of the union and carries out decisions of the NEB. The national secretary-treasurer oversees administration and the union’s finances.
Committees and working groups
CUPE’s 18 national committees provide an opportunity for CUPE members to contribute to the work of our union on the many important issues and activities that shape our direction.
CUPE Constitution
The CUPE Constitution belongs to the members of CUPE. It determines the Union’s objectives and how the Union operates. It is determined by rank-and-file members, and it forms the basis for the functioning of the more than 2,100 CUPE local unions across Canada.
The CUPE Constitution came into existence at the Founding Convention in 1963 when the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) and the National Union of Public Service Employees (NUPSE) merged to form the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Changes to the Constitution can only be made by the delegates at CUPE’s national conventions.
