The National Union of Public and General Employees is a Canadiantrade union. Taken in total it is the second largest union in Canada. Most of its 390,000 members work in the provincial public service sector. There is also a large and growing number of members who work for private businesses. Its mission is to monitor provincial and federal labour laws and developments as well as analyse restructuring of social programs and public services. The National Union reports on and contributes to legislation affecting the Canadian workplace. It gives its members a national presence through participation in the Canadian Labour Congress and internationally through Public Services International. The 11 component unions are:
The National Union has a federated structure — in effect, it's a union of unions. Individuals are members of the National Union through their membership in one of the union's 12 components. The Triennial Convention, with delegates from all components, is the supreme governing body. Between conventions, the National Union's governing body is the National Executive Board, which comes from the leadership of all the components. The National Union structure is built on the autonomy and identity of components, while providing the benefits of belonging to a national-level union. Components elect their own officers, set their dues, hire their staff, and do their own bargaining; the National Union provides assistance and co-ordination, national and international representation. Dues are based on a percentage of the revenue of components. The National Union provides research and analysis in such areas as federal-provincial transfer payments, national standards for health and social programs, federal-provincial jurisdictional changes and employee transfers, tax policies, Canada Pension Plan, changes in Employment Insurance as well as federal legislation respecting the workplace. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees was a member of NUPGE until 2001 when it was suspended for trying to take members from another union. Then in 2006 the AUPE decided to disaffiate from the NUPGE and by extension the Canadian Labour Congress and Alberta Federation of Labour. Its current officers are Larry Brown, National President, and Bert Blundon, National Secretary-Treasurer.
