A digital platform that connects Canada's public sector unionized workers

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) partnered with Evolving Web to revamp its digital presence with a full redesign and migration to modern Drupal for its corporate website. Work has also included upgrades across its network of WordPress local union sites. Evolving Web leads the transformation, migrating more than 29,000 pages and complex integrations to a sustainable architecture hosted on Pantheon. The new platform balances design and performance, giving CUPE an accessible, mobile-first website that showcases member stories, strengthens brand identity, and streamlines digital engagement across thousands of locals.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canada’s largest union, representing over 740,000 members across the country. CUPE members work primarily in the public sector, spanning a wide range of industries, including health care, emergency services, education, early learning and child care, municipalities, social services, libraries, utilities, transportation, and airlines. CUPE has more than 2,363 locals and chartered organizations across Canada, ranging in size from 20 to 20,000 members.

CUPE set out to refresh its website to reflect a dynamic, human, and impactful brand. The union wanted a redesigned website that highlights members, amplifies their collective voice, and provides clear pathways for action. Other goals included migrating all content, integrations, and member services to a modern, future-ready Drupal platform, without interfering with the day-to-day operations of the website. We also wanted the new Drupal platform to provide a more flexible and powerful editorial experience for CUPE staff.

The previous version of CUPE’s website included extensive customizations, particularly in search, commerce, and integrations with internal databases. Replicating and modernizing these while reducing technical debt presents a significant challenge. The migration also required careful evaluation of 29,000+ pages and dozens of content types to streamline the content model for Drupal. In parallel, the Drupal Commerce architecture had to be rebuilt to accommodate the major platform changes. The project demanded balancing technical precision, brand storytelling, and accessibility.

We migrated CUPE’s website to the latest version of Drupal, introducing a modern design, improved content management tools, and a more streamlined architecture. By reducing the number of modules and leveraging more of Drupal’s core functionality, we helped lower the website’s cost of ownership. Evolving Web also provided maintenance and an improved architecture for the organization’s WordPress multisite that supports almost 350 local sites.

Our work included:

• UI workshops, creative direction, and art direction aligned with CUPE’s values
• Bright, accessible visual identity featuring CUPE’s magenta brand colour, bold typography, and authentic photography of members
• Three design territories: Empowering the Collective, Empowering through Action, and Strength in Numbers were used to balance CUPE’s identity as both a strong campaigning union and a supportive organization for members
• Automated migration of 29,826 pages, plus users, taxonomies, media, commerce data, and webforms to a new Drupal platform
• Migration and re-architecture of Drupal Commerce, including products, attributes, and variations
• Rationalized content model: merged redundant content types, introduced 13 streamlined types and 32 reusable components
• Apache Solr faceted search with automated related content linking
• Bilingual site with full English and French translation
• Custom integration with CUPE’s internal database to power newsletters, petitions, and the Union Education Catalog
• Editorial workflows with granular publishing permissions
• Tools for advocacy campaigns, petitions, and local engagement
• Maintenance and upgrades for 350+ WordPress local union sites

The redesigned CUPE website includes more than 29,000 pages, which were automatically migrated to preserve critical content and streamline the overall structure. The new content model introduces 13 content types and 32 reusable components, giving editors powerful tools to publish and design with flexibility.

The new Drupal-based corporate site reduces technical debt and leverages core functionality. In parallel, CUPE’s 350+ WordPress local union sites have been upgraded to improve usability and security, ensuring consistency across the network.

The platform integrates CUPE’s internal systems, automates content relationships, and enhances search functionality, giving members faster access to local information, collective agreements, and educational resources. The result is a scalable, cost-effective, and accessible digital presence that reflects CUPE’s identity, while empowering members with a stronger sense of community and connection.