CUPE is Ontario’s hospital union. We represent nearly 50,000 workers in 120 hospitals across the province, including Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Women’s Own Withdrawal Management Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and Hillcrest Reactivation Centre.
No other union has the strong job security provisions hospital CUPE members do. Our campaigns also recently brought our members increased protections against violence in the workplace, better health and safety standards including access to proper PPE, and access to pandemic pay for more hospital workers. CUPE has campaigned vigorously to end exploitative low wages at Hillcrest, where workers voted overwhelmingly to join CUPE in March 2019.
CUPE is a democratic union that puts its members first. As a CUPE member, you have a direct say in collective bargaining. You set priorities and elect your bargaining committee and leadership directly within your workplace. You have a level of direct democracy that doesn’t exist in other unions, such as NOWU. We also place a high value on grassroots empowerment through our member education programs to help you develop as leaders and effect change in your workplace and community.
In addition to dynamic hospital political leaders, a CUPE National staff representative is assigned directly to your local union, as are expert specialists including lawyers, researchers, communicators, and experts in health & safety and WSIB.
Unlike other unions that, because of their practices, are not welcome as part of the broader labour movement, CUPE is widely respected. CUPE often works in coalition with other unions representing health care workers to advocate for better working conditions and wages, and for a better health care system. It’s a united front approach that gives CUPE hospital and other health sector members more leverage with the Ontario government and employers.
CUPE 5001 represents full and part-time service and clerical workers at University Health Network in Toronto.