About Us History
The Concordia University Professional Employees Union began in 1988. Prior to the formation of CUPEU, Concordia staff belonged to the Concordia University Non-Academic Staff Association (CUNASA). Although CUNASA members had an agreement with the University concerning jobs, employee rights and working conditions, it was not recognized as a legal document.
With the advent of major budget cuts to education in 1988 and the resulting downsizing, Concordia staff were concerned about their jobs and wanted more protection. Thus, we were fortunate to have a number of employees who dedicated themselves towards forming a union.
Representatives from three of Quebec's large unions were invited to present and discuss affiliation. In the end, Concordia staff chose the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN). The deciding factor was that CUPEU would hold the accreditation, not the CSN, as was the case with the other unions being considered.
At the time, it was determined that Concordia staff would be divided into three groups:
Support Staff – CUSSU
Professional Staff – CUPEU
Management Staff – ACUMAE (non-unionized)
At the accreditation stage, a period of one year was given to have union cards signed. A total of 50% plus one in favour of a union was required to become accredited. CUSSU and CUPEU both filed for accreditation around the same time and while CUSSU's application went smoothly, CUPEU did not fare as well. A major hurdle to overcome was disagreement about the definition of a professional. This was resolved after a lengthy process involving the University, other unions and the Quebec Labour Court, and the professional complement was determined to include nurses, guidance counselors, IT specialists, departmental administrators and coordinators, placement officers, chaplains, accountants and financial specialists and head coaches of Concordia's varsity teams among others.
The union was finally accredited in 1994 and Patricia Verret was elected as the first president. The first Collective Agreement between Concordia University and the Concordia University Professional Employees Union was signed on September 15, 1998.
Much has changed since those early days. For example, there are now 11 unions serving the Concordia community, and CUPEU has grown to over members.
That being said, you can rest assured that some things never change: CUPEU will always be there to defend the rights and improve the working conditions of its members.