Union vs non-union cleaning — what changes for you

Lesson 3 of 6 in Working as a Cleaner in Canada · 18 minutes

Many cleaning jobs in Canada are unionized — especially in hospitals, schools and government buildings. Two cleaners doing the same kind of work — one union, one not — can have very different pay, benefits, sick days and job security. Here's how to tell, and what it means.

What you'll learn

Identify which cleaning sectors are typically unionized
Spot the union when you're applying or being interviewed
Understand the differences in pay, benefits, and job security
Know the major cleaning-sector unions in Canada

From the lesson

If you've taken the course Union Basics for Newcomers, you already understand what a union is. This lesson focuses on the cleaning industry specifically: which jobs are unionized, what unions represent cleaners, and why the gap between union and non-union cleaning jobs can be so big.

1. Which cleaning sectors are typically unionized

Almost always unionized: • Hospital and healthcare cleaning (for example CUPE, OPSEU or SEIU, depending on the province) • School board and university cleaning (CUPE, sometimes OPSEU) • Federal government building cleaning (PSAC) • Municipal building cleaning (CUPE) • Major hotel housekeeping in big cities (for example Unifor, or Unite Here Local 75 in Toronto) •…