UFCW

What UFCW does

UFCW Canada is the Canadian national body of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, a private sector labour union founded in 1979 through the merger of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America and the Retail Clerks International Union. Headquartered in Toronto, it represents over 270,000 members across all Canadian provinces and territories through a federation of provincial local unions, including UFCW 1006A (Ontario, 36,000+ members), UFCW 832 (Manitoba, 18,000+), UFCW 1518 (British Columbia, 26,000+), UFCW 401 (Alberta), UFCW 175 & 633 (Ontario), and the UFCW Eastern Provinces Council (Atlantic Canada). Membership spans food retail and grocery (nearly 150,000 workers at chains including Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, Safeway), food processing (nearly 40,000 workers at Maple Lodge Farms, Natrel, Cavendish Farms, Keurig), hospitality (17,000+), health care (15,000+), restaurant and food service (9,600+), manufacturing, security, cannabis retail, and emerging gig economy segments including app-based drivers.

UFCW's core service is collective bargaining representation, organized through a 7-step worker-led process culminating in labour board certification and negotiated agreements that deliver a documented union wage premium of $5.14/hour on average. Revenue is generated through membership dues paid monthly by individual members, with rates set democratically by each local union's by-laws. Adjacent member-benefit products include the webCampus online learning platform offering over 220 free courses to members and their families, the BDM Scholarship Program (18 scholarships of $1,000 annually, totaling $300,000+ in annual scholarship support), an Equity Grant Program, and the National Defence Fund providing financial protection to members during labour disputes.

The union is governed by a National President and National Council, and is a constituent part of the international UFCW. Distribution is executed through provincial local unions with in-person organizing at workplaces and online membership signup via the national website. Recent strategic positioning has expanded UFCW into adjacent verticals including cannabis retail (first private-sector cannabis certifications in multiple provinces), gig economy (first Uber union contract in Canada covering 1,000+ Victoria drivers), and veterinary services, while pursuing regulatory advocacy through partnerships with Ecojustice and the International Labour Organization on agrifood labour standards and migrant worker protections.

Name

UFCW

Legal name

United Food and Commercial Workers Union

Website

https://ufcw.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

UFCW Canada is the Canadian national body of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, representing over 270,000 private sector members across food retail, food processing, hospitality, health care, cannabis, and gig economy sectors through provincial local unions, providing collective bargaining, education, and member benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: UFCW Canada generates revenue through membership dues paid by its over 270,000 members across Canada. Union dues are determined by local union by-laws and can only be changed by a vote from members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UFCW Canada organizes and represents more than 270,000 Canadian workers across food retail, food processing, hospitality, health care, manufacturing, security, cannabis retail, and gig economy sectors through collective bargaining, grievance handling, and workplace advocacy. Membership dues fund the union's services, which also include member benefits such as the webCampus online learning platform, the National Defence Fund, and the BDM Scholarship Program.

Product overview

UFCW Canada is a national private sector union representing over 270,000 members across various industries including food retail, food processing, hospitality, health care, security, industrial, and office sectors. The union's service portfolio centers on collective bargaining representation, member benefits, and educational programs. Key offerings include webCampus (an online learning platform with over 220 courses), the National Defence Fund (member protection program), the BDM Scholarship Program (18 scholarships worth $1,000 annually totaling over $300,000 in annual scholarship support), and member resources including health and safety guidance and discounts. The union also operates sector-specific representation for industries including grocery, food processing, hotel and hospitality, food service, restaurant, manufacturing, cannabis, retail, security, gig workers, and warehouse workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• webCampus: UFCW Canada's online learning platform offering over 220 courses free for members and their families
• BDM Scholarship
• National Defence Fund

Products and services

• Collective Bargaining and Union Representation Core membership service: representation of Canadian workers through collective agreement negotiation, grievance handling, and workplace advocacy across food retail, food processing, hospitality, health care, manufacturing, security, cannabis retail, and gig economy sectors.
• webCampus Online Learning Platform Online learning platform offering over 220 free courses to UFCW Canada members and their families for education and professional development.
• National Defence Fund Protection program providing financial support and assistance to UFCW Canada members during disputes, organizing campaigns, and other covered circumstances.
• UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship Program (Beggs-Dowling-Mathieu) Annual scholarship program offering 18 scholarships worth $1,000 each to UFCW Canada members and their families to support post-secondary education.
• UFCW Canada Equity Grant Program Grant program offering three scholarships annually to UFCW Canada members with no eligibility restrictions, supporting access to further education and training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unionized workers earn $5.14 per hour more than non-union counterparts on average; $6.88 more per hour for women workers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Moccasin IdentifierminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025UFCW Canada partnered with Moccasin Identifier to commission and unveil a mural by Anishnawbe artist Philip Cote titled 'Return of the Sacred' as part of the union's commitment to reconciliation, Indigenous advocacy, and treaty recognition. The mural is installed at UFCW Canada's headquarters.
• Employer Organizations (Food Sector)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2025UFCW Canada joined with employer organizations in the food processing sector to jointly call on the federal government to create a new dedicated immigration pathway providing permanent residency routes for essential workers in the food sector.
• EcojusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2025UFCW Canada partnered with Ecojustice to mount a legal challenge against Health Canada's failure to enforce safety data sheet requirements under the Pest Control Products Act. The partnership aims to ensure agricultural workers have access to critical pesticide safety information.
• International Labour Organization (ILO) Social PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2024UFCW Canada hosted North America's first Social Partner Forum on Decent Work in the Agrifood Sector, bringing together labour, industry, and government representatives to discuss ILO's Decent Work Guidelines for the agrifood sector.
• Faster Together CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 June 2021UFCW Canada partnered with the Faster Together coalition, a national task force aimed at encouraging Canadians to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The coalition included various civil society organizations working to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United Steelworkers (USW): North American industrial union with Canadian operations representing workers in manufacturing, mining, and rubber. Overlaps with UFCW's manufacturing and food processing representation, particularly in industrial sectors.
• Teamsters Canada: International Brotherhood of Teamsters' Canadian arm representing workers in transportation, warehousing, food processing, and retail. Directly competes with UFCW in food processing, grocery warehousing, and logistics.
• Unifor: Canada's largest private sector union with 315,000+ members across manufacturing, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and transportation. Directly comparable as a national Canadian private sector union competing for the same workplaces and members in food processing, retail, and hospitality.

Regional players

• Canadian Auto Workers (now part of Unifor): Formerly independent Canadian auto union, merged into Unifor in 2013. Historical peer for industrial workers in Ontario with overlapping manufacturing and food processing membership that now sits within Unifor.
• Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC): Largest federal public sector union in Canada with 230,000+ members. Comparable as a national Canadian union structure but operates primarily in federal government rather than private sector.

Emerging players

• Hospitality Workers Union (Local affiliates): UNITE HERE represents hospitality, hotel, and food service workers in Canada with significant overlap to UFCW's 17,000+ hospitality and 9,600+ restaurant worker members. Competes for same hospitality and cannabis retail certifications.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): North American union with 2 million members focused on healthcare, property services, and janitorial sectors. Comparable as a sector-specialized union competing in healthcare and security worker organizing in Canada.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE): Canada's largest union overall with 700,000+ members, primarily public sector but with growing private sector footprint in healthcare and services. Overlaps with UFCW in healthcare, hospitality, and service sector representation.
• United Food and Commercial Workers International Union: UFCW Canada's parent organization with 1.3 million members across North America. Operates the broader UFCW federation that UFCW Canada is a constituent part of, providing international resources, coordination, and shared organizing infrastructure.

Others

• Canadian Labour Congress (CLC): National labor federation representing 3.3 million Canadian union members through 13 affiliated international unions including UFCW Canada. Functions as an umbrella/coalition body rather than direct collective bargaining peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UFCWCanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/ufcwcanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ufcw-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/ufcwcanada
• Xx.com/UFCWCanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UFCW