Canadian Union of Public Employees

Canadian trade union Canadian Union of Public EmployeesAbbreviationCUPEFormation1963; 63 years ago (1963)Merger ofNational Union of Public EmployeesNational Union of Public Service EmployeesTypeTrade unionHeadquartersOttawa, Ontario, CanadaLocationCanadaMembers800,000 (2025)Official languages EnglishFrenchPresidentMark HancockSecretary-treasurerCandace RennickAffiliationsCanadian Labour CongressInternational Transport Workers' FederationPublic Services InternationalWebsitecupe.ca The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE; French: Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique [SCFP]) is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector; although, in recent years it has organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well. CUPE is the largest union in Canada. As of 2025, it represented 800,000 workers in health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities, social services, public utilities, transportation, emergency services, and airlines. More than 60% of CUPE's members are women and almost a third are part-time workers. CUPE is affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress and is its greatest financial contributor. History 1952-1963 (formation) Efforts to