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CUPE represents just over 73,000 members across over 230 bargaining units in the post-secondary education (PSE) sector. Our members work in universities, colleges and student-led organizations.

CUPE represents early childhood educators, assistants, cooks, and cleaners in the sector in both stand-alone and multi-sector locals. The bargaining units tend to be small and the wages low. The employers can be not-for-profit volunteer-run boards, municipalities, school boards or for-profit.

More than half of all education workers across Canada are CUPE members. CUPE represents 160,000 workers in elementary and secondary schools across Canada in every classification in the school system – except teachers and management – in over 400 education bargaining units.

CUPE represents over 225,000 health care workers from coast to coast. Approximately 190,000 of those members work in dedicated health care locals such as hospitals, long-term care, community and public health, home care, and at Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec. The remaining members work primarily in the Municipal and Social Services sectors.

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.

Nearly all members in the CUPE communications sector work for private sector employers under federal jurisdiction, regulated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The sector has approximately 6,100 members, the vast majority (more than 98%) of whom are in Quebec.

The Emergency and Security Services (ESS) sector is made up of paramedic, emergency communication, fire service, police, correctional, and security workers. Within CUPE, most ESS workers are emergency medical service workers – paramedics, communication officers, administrative, maintenance and support staff.

CUPE’s approximately 170,000 members in the municipal sector work in water, roads, planning, public health, childcare and more. They make up just over 20% of CUPE’s membership and are identified primarily as “inside” or “outside” workers. CUPE municipal members do work that touches the lives of most Canadians every day – from waste removal to snow removal to water treatment.

This has been an extremely busy summer. In-person events have continued to increase, as we learn to adjust to the ongoing pandemic and find ways to gather safely despite it. Parallel rising inflation and interest rates are placing real pressure on CUPE members. COVID-19 also continues to take a toll on those in frontline jobs, who continue to face employers and governments who do not prioritize their health and safety.

CUPE represents over 45,000 workers in the energy sector in Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec. They are employed as trades and maintenance workers, customer service representatives, accountants, administration assistants, billing and record agents, communications staff, drafters, programmer analysts, technologists, power line workers, technicians, clerks, skilled trades workers, atomic energy workers and call centre workers.