Canadian Union of Public Employees : Union organization among Canadian public sector workers dates back to at least the early 1920s, when directly chartered local unions of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada (TLC) existed in some cities to represent municipal workers. By 1950, provincial organizations of TLC public employee unions existed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. The formation of a national union had been considered at a 1949 meeting, and in 1952 the TLC issued a charter creating a national federation of public employee unions. A new charter creating the National Union of Public Employees and giving it full union status was issued by the TLC in 1955.
Robert Rintoul was the new union's National Director. Membership and organization increased markedly during the first three years of NUPE's existence; individual membership increased from 18,000 to 37,000, and the number of affiliated local unions increased from 105 to 230. In addition to organization, other important functions of the NUPE national office were education and research.
The National Union of Public Service Employees (NUPSE) grew out of the Canadian Electrical Trades Union (CETU), which notwithstanding its name, was centred around Toronto. In 1944 locals of the CETU formed the National Organization of Civic, Utility and Electrical Workers (NOCUEW) and affiliated with the Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL). During 1949-1952 the NOCUEW expanded to include civic employees in other Ontario cities.
In 1952, the NOCUEW became the National Union of Public Service Employees, and during the next four years it expanded into Manitoba and northern Quebec, and added the employees of hospitals and boards of education to its organizing jurisdiction. A major expansion occurred when the Ontario Hydro Employees Union, an independent organization, affiliated with NUPSE in the late 1950s. Stanley Little was a leading figure in NUPSE, serving variously as secretary-treasurer, director of organization, and national president.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) was formed in 1963 by the merger of NUPE and NUPSE. The merger had been under negotiation since the 1956 merger of the federations to which the two unions were affiliated -- the TLC and the CCL -- but had been delayed by questions of structure, jurisdiction, per capita tax, and other issues. One of the largest unions in Canada, CUPE has been primarily concerned with the organization of employees of: hospitals, nursing homes, and other health institutions; municipal governments; school boards, universities, and other educational institutions; public utilities; social service agencies; and broadcasting.
In 1987, the former Canadian Air Lines Flight Attendants Association affiliated with CUPE to become its Airline Division. National Presidents of CUPE have included Stanley Little (1963-1975), Grace Hartman (1975-1983), Jeff Rose (1983-1991), and Judy Darcy (since 1991). Major functions of CUPE are reflected in its organizational structure, which has included departments for education, organizing and servicing, research, and legislation.
