In order to join CUPE you must complete, sign and date a CUPE membership card. Once you have completed it, mail it in to the postage paid envelope. Signing a membership card is a requirement under the Ontario Labour Relations Act.

Once CUPE has received cards from at least 50% of employees, CUPE will file an Application for Certification. When CUPE files the Application the membership cards are sent to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) with the Application. The cards are completely confidential and the employer will never know who signed a card.

When CUPE files the Application for Certification the Employer is served with a copy of the Application (not the membership cards). Five business days following the filing of the Application an Officer from the OLRB comes out to the workplace and holds a secret ballot vote. No one will ever know how you voted. The vote is what determines whether CUPE is successful or not. It is a simple majority vote, so if 100 people come out to vote and 51 vote in favour of joining the union then everyone will become part of the union.

Signing the CUPE membership card is the first step in joining CUPE but it is important to remember that the vote is what determines whether CUPE is successful.

Click to sign a CUPE Membership Card