Social services sector

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.

CUPE has a strong presence in the social services sector representing 54,700 members in over 500 bargaining units in communities across the country. Eighty-five per cent of workers in the sector are women. CUPE members in the social services sector provide a range of services and supports to people who are often vulnerable, marginalized, and impoverished.

CUPE social services workers help women and children flee domestic violence, protect children from harm and neglect, work with adults with development disabilities, provide employment counselling, administer social assistance, provide services and supports to people living with HIV and AIDS, and many more vital public services too numerous to mention. CUPE social service workers are employed by transfer payment agencies, municipal governments that provide social services, and non-profit community agencies.

Read more

Workers from a variety of sectors

Sectors of work

CUPE is Canada’s largest union, with over 800,000 members. It is also a very diverse union in terms of the sectors it represents. Our members work in eleven different sectors. Some sectors have over 150,000 members each, such as health care, education, and municipal services, while others have fewer members. However, our union relies on the strength of all its members, regardless of their sector or type of job. Learn more about each of these sectors and the specific issues facing each one.