New Members

Hello and welcome to NAPE, the largest union in Newfoundland and Labrador!

In becoming a NAPE member you are uniting with over 25,000 public and private sector workers across our great province.

Unions are built on the fundamental principle that we are stronger when we work together – that there is strength in numbers. Alone, each worker must negotiate and deal with their employer as an individual. By working together, workers have a more powerful collective say about their working conditions, health and safety, pay and benefits.

Through its collective voice, the union movement has been able to accomplish much for workers. In fact, many of the working conditions that all workers in our society enjoy is because of the work of the labour movement over the years; health and safety standards, maternity leave, pensions, minimum wage, the 40 hour work week, weekends, and the list goes on and on.

In NAPE you have joined a strong voice for you and your family. Our union has a proud and rich history of defending its members, negotiating good collective agreements, advocating for strong public services, and fighting to improve the lives of workers and their families.

To help you learn more about your union, we have put together this ‘new Members’ Handbook’. This resource will help you understand how the union makes decisions, what services and benefits are available to you as a member, and learn more about the structure, staffing and resources that make the Union the strong agent for progressive change that we have become.

Our union is only as strong as its members, so please take some time to go through this handbook and contact your local Shop Steward or nearest NAPE Office if you have any additional questions.

There are many opportunities to get involved in your Union and I encourage you to get active and involved – your efforts can go a long way to improving the lives of others and the word around you.

In solidarity,

Jerry Earle

President